Age Of Apocalypse: Redux: Weavings In a Tapestry
by Doosri Pistole
Summary: The Tower stands, and the Horsemen ride out. Meanwhile The Xmen teeter on the verge of breakup. Main PLayers :Scott, Jean, Remy, Logan, Apocalypse and Rogue.Finished.
1. prologue: The Horsemen Ride

X MEN : AoA Redux: Weavings In A Tapestry  
  
Author: Javed Chaudhry  
  
Rating: R  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men, Muir Isle, The Hellfire Club, AoA, Human High Council, Avengers, or Marvel. Marvel owns all of the above. I do own Sammael, Archanfel, Asmodeus, Galaire, Behamen, Gilgamesh, Shaman, Nidlen Halfbane, Renegade, Astaroth, the Prelates (other than Scott, Alex, Deathbird, Erik the Red, Bedlams and Lorna,) the Uber-leutnants, and the commanders as well as Roulette.  
  
Authors Note: This is the sequel to AoA: Redux. It is in the same setting as the first, i.e.: it is set in the world of AoA, but is A/U to that. E.G: the External's running crazy, Roulette as being the name of Gambit's team (which is called the X-ternals). Again to anyone who might think I've copied their stories, I haven't, this story is of my own making, inspired purely by the X-men. The prequel was written after reading three other stories, but if you want to know about them go read my first stories note. Oh and please be kind in your reviews, I really don't know much about Hellfire Club therefore some ppl might be OoC. Oh and I know I didn't make any reference to Apocalypse's death camps or the Infinites processing centers, but I will in this.  
  
Things have changed so I'll again make clear what's what.  
  
The Good Guys: X-men: Magneto: Erik Magnus Lensherr Rogue: Marie Lensherr Phoenix: Jean Grey Weapon X: Logan Colossus: Piotr Nikolaivitch Rasputin Archangel: Warren Worthington III Shadowcat: Katherine Pride Nightcrawler: Kurt Wagner Scarlet Witch: Wanda Maximoff Quicksilver: Pietro Maximoff Iceman: Robert Drake  
  
Roulette: (An affiliate of the X-men) Gambit: Remy Lebeau Psylocke: Elizabeth Braddock Marrow: Sarah Storm: Ororo Munroe Renegade: Gavin Fury Jr. Mystique: Raven Darkholme  
  
On Muir Isle II: Emma Frost Banshee: Sean Cassidy Helena Kahn Know-it-all  
  
Human High Council: Moira Trask Mariko Yoshida Brian Braddock Susan Richards Dr. Victor von Doom Jonathan Storm  
  
The Bad Guys:  
  
Apocalypse: En Sabah Nur  
  
The Externals (Apocalypse): Sammael: Kar' Toman Selavayne Sinister: Nathaniel Essex Candra Exodus: Bennet Du Paris  
  
Holocaust: Nemesis Mikhail Rasputin  
  
Prelate Havok: Alex Summers Prelate Polaris: Lorna Dane Prelate Lumina: Sylvia Ferguson Prelate Quja: Kan Berrona Arch-Prelate Deathbird: Cal'Sayee Neramani Prelate's The Bedlam Brothers: Jesse and Terry Prelate Erik the Red.  
  
Dark Beast: Henry McCoy  
  
Wild Cards: (Against Apocalypse or X-men)  
  
Cyclops: Scott Summers  
  
The Externals: Gilgamesh: Kairan en' Ulas Asmodeus: Argorion Devinrok Behamen: Sonnara Delnoman Galaire: Meghann Blaise Astaroth: Yakker Kurenti Nidlen Halfbane  
  
Sabretooth: Victor Creed  
  
Bishop  
  
Forge  
  
In Avalon: Destiny Blink: Clarice Ferguson Douglas Sunfire: Shiro Juggernaut: Cain Marko Black Tom Cassidy  
  
Previously:  
  
The Age of Apocalypse is on. Apocalypse rules what is left of the America's with an iron fist, his second-in-commands, the powerful External's governing for him. Xavier and his X-men run from the forces Apocalypse sends against them, hiding desperately from the military genius of Apocalypse's armies, the High Prelate Cyclops. In a titanic clash between the Prelates and the X-men, Xavier is killed by Cyclops. In a rescue mission to save Psylocke, the two teams of Roulette and the X-men send their best covert operatives to get her out of Apocalypses new base, the Tower. Unfortunately, Jean is captured during the rescue. Cyclops questions Jean, only to find that he knew her long before. They fall in love, but the Externals find out about Cyclops's betrayal and torture both. Cyclops powers are augmented by his surrogate father, Mr. Sinister, in the addition of gauntlets linked directly to his brain, which allows him to use his energy blasts through his hands as well as eyes.  
  
Meanwhile the Externals against Apocalypse have made plans to rid themselves of the most dangerous ally of Apocalypse's the External Sammael. They employ Juggernaut in that endeavor.  
  
They manage to escape while the X-men return to assault the tower and rescue Jean at the same time. Weapon X leads a team into the base, while Gambit leads another. Gambit manages to destroy much of the Towers weapons. Weapon X finds Jean alive and in love with Cyclops. He doesn't trust him, but Cyclops proves himself later. Gambit is captured by Sinister and Rogue leads a team to find and rescue him. Emma Frost meanwhile leads another team to destroy the force field of the Tower, holding all rescue ships in place, and preventing the X-men from damaging the Tower too much. Scott senses Jean's trouble and heads of to find her.  
  
In the final battles of the assault, the crazed External Archanfel manages to blow up a chunk of the Tower in an effort to kill his most hated enemy, the new leader of the X-men, Magneto. However Magneto survives, though Archanfel dies. Emma and her team consisting of Psylocke, Nightcrawler and Mystique fight against the External Exodus and Prelate Rumik. Rumik turns against Exodus, as Psylocke used to be her best friend long ago. Emma and her team fight back against her former lover, but Exodus proves to be a tough adversary. The explosion manages to help them, as he is badly weakened and needs to flee to recover. He goes after promising to kill them one day.  
  
Scott fights Dark Beast again, and Dark Beast leaves after a short sparring. Sinister and Candra are too strong for the X-men come to rescue Gambit. Weapon X fights against Sabretooth, who came with juggernaut. Juggernaut fights against Sammael, who is being overwhelmed by Juggernaut and his allies Black Tom Cassidy, Toad, Mastermind and Blob. However Apocalypse finally comes from his chambers to see what's going on. He makes short work of Juggernaut and throws his allies off the tower. He then sends his kill-droids, coldly efficient killer robots designed to kill anything threatening the Tower. The kill-droids turn the tide against the X-men and Human High Council forces.  
  
With Scott's help and gambit's recovery the X-men manage to defeat Sinister and Candra. They escape, and the X-men as well as Scott leave the laboratory. Weapon X seems to finally accept that Jean loves Scott, who has changed. Jean makes short work of Dark Beast. They all leave and head for the X-men's massive airship, the Hybrid. They escape.  
  
In the end of it, Rogue reveals to Magneto she is pregnant, and that Cyclops and Rumik have joined them.  
  
Apocalypse confronts his forces, and warns them he will kill them all if another assault like this is allowed. He warns the Externals later that he is now going to take a more active role as his project that has kept him occupied for so long is nearly completed, and it will rid him of all his enemies, not just the X-men. The Externals are chilled by this.  
  
Prologue: The Horsemen Ride  
  
The Tower was being rebuilt. The mighty Tower that had nearly fallen, was once again being made whole, its battlements being restored. It was still a mighty sight, despite the gaping hole in its side, where the crazed External Archanfel had killed himself in a vain attempt to destroy his greatest enemy and the leader of the rebels. Even that hole seemed to add to the Towers menace, a symbol for all to see that even with a wound so devastating the Tower had withstood the assault by the rebels. The Towers new guardians stood at the top of the Tower, slumbering until next called upon by their master. The extremely efficient kill-droids had taken apart what was a sure victory for the rebels, into a victory for the Tower. A hundred had been launched and eighty four still remained. However, with all these good factors, there was a flip side to the coin. An External was dead, no matter by his own hand; the Tower had lost a valuable weapon. Another blow to the morale of the Towers forces had been the loss of their High Prelate, who had been arguably the best they had had yet. Cyclops's defection had been something that no one could have foreseen. Another Prelate had turned as well, Rumik. Another blow to the morale of the Towers forces. Prelates could be replaced with fair ease, at least compared to High Prelates. However there was no replacing an External.  
  
All these problems weighed heavily on Apocalypse's mind. He had grown careless, and had been distracted these last few months. When he had first seen the High Prelate with that rebel woman he should have crushed her. Instead he had been curious as to what had been that resonance. He understood it for what it was now and he knew that he would need to work fast. Work fast to change a future in which he would surely die. His kill- droids would provide ample protection for the Tower, but would not be able to prevail in a prolonged assault on the rebels themselves. For that he needed something more. Something far more unique and powerful. Something that he had been 'cultivating' for centuries now. Apocalypse rose from his throne like chair, and walked towards the four casket like chambers that faced each other in an adjoining room. Large tubes snaked their way across the sides of the room towards the chambers. The chambers front glowed with ethereal light, four different colors; blue, red, green and purple. A distant humming sound came from somewhere. Apocalypse smiled, this was what he had prepared for all those years.  
  
Four beings of power, controlled by him personally. Finding bodies had proved difficult in itself, it appeared only mutant bodies would have done, and that too those mutants that had a very large life span, like himself or the Externals. He had killed four of the most powerful Externals, and brought them to his pyramid in what used to be Egypt. Using technology that he had taken from a weakened Celestial, after killing him, he had begun the process of change and mind distortion. He had had seven chambers such as these before, but the External Shaman had destroyed three of them. Apocalypse had killed him and taken his body for use in the chambers. He looked over at the chamber which housed Shamans body. Apocalypse smiled even more widely, his enemies fell before him and soon he would be rid of many of his enemies. Killing all of course was not probable; enemies would always be present where there was success. Indeed keeping some alive was ultimately beneficial to him. He took one last glance at the four chambers before leaving the room. There were still a few hours left.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Scott Summers sat on a bench, a few feet away from a cliff that overlooked the sea. So this was Muir Isle 2, the stronghold of the rebels. This was the one place that he had expended his energies towards finding the most. It wasn't a particularly large island. However it wasn't all that small either. It was mostly made up of a dead volcano, which rose up in the middle of the island. The base itself was underground, and hidden from any radar sweeps by very sophisticated repulsion fields. If the most intense radar check was taken on the island it would only show an uninhabited island, with nothing of any interest. It was powered by wind and hydro- electric power, whose plant was in the center of the island, under the ground of course. Even the bench he sat on would fold into the ground in the event of a radar sweep. The installation was massive, housing living quarters, a school for mutants, a normal school for rebel children to study in, a massive training complex for rebel soldiers, and another massive training complex for mutant rebels. However the X-men had a separate training room, less than a quarter of the size of the others, and powered by some machine. They had not told him what it was, however he guessed it was the Cerebro machine that he heard so much about. Sinister had called it the rebel's single greatest weapon. Rebels.. He had to stop thinking of them that way. There were far more rebels than he had expected. It would not be too long before they could muster up an army to assault the Tower again. The Human High Council and X-men had not remained idle.  
  
He grimaced as he saw children who were walking towards the cliff suddenly spot him and turn around and go another direction. While the residents of Muir Isle had not been exactly hostile, they had not been all that friendly either. They had not been too friendly towards Helena either, but they had not gone out of their way to avoid her either. With him they had hurried away as though he was some evil monster out of a nightmare coming to eat them. His mouth twisted at that, to these rebels he probably was some monster, the man who had made their life a living hell. He stared out at the sea, watching the seagulls soar through the air. So free from life's pressures, the most they had to worry about was whether some creature from the depths wouldn't make a snack of them when they swooped down to catch a fish to eat. Scott smiled then without humor; the life of a seagull wasn't too different from the rebels in that sense. They had to survive the constant threat of Apocalypse and his forces, especially if they ventured out of the sanctuary of this Island. Scott adjusted his visor. He could feel a headache coming on; he had been sitting out here too long. He shook his head; he would go in when it became unbearable. He looked out at the sky again. He wouldn't be staying here for much longer. He wasn't welcome, that much he was certain of. The only person who fully trusted him was Jean, and that too he figured was because of their link. It had only been one day since the battle at the Tower; most of the people had recovered. The powers that be at Muir Isle had been in conference for nearly an hour now. He knew that his fate would be decided by them, and that galled him. After being controlled for so long, he realized that he hated it. Hated it with a vengeance. He vowed to himself, that whatever the decision taken by the X-men, he would leave the Island. He didn't fit, and he still didn't trust them. They were rebels, he had thought them to be his enemies all his life, and he wasn't sure now. *What you really need Scott is breathing space, time to think and sort out your life.* Scott was decided, he would leave. If Jean wanted to come with him she was welcome to it, in fact Scott knew he wanted her to come with him. What he wanted he knew was to be free of it all, all the worries, the troubles, the anxiety; he wanted to be rid of them all. What he wanted was a life of peace with Jean.  
  
He suddenly felt small cool hands on his shoulders, pulling him back. He relaxed into the embrace easily, and looked up at Jeans face. She smiled at him. A loose strand of hair slipped down and tickled his nose. He shook his head to get rid of the offending hair and blew air out of his nose. Jean laughed lightly.  
  
"Hey Scott."  
  
He smiled, "Hey Jean."  
  
She came around the bench and sat next to him, leaning against him.  
  
"You're summoned to the council meeting Scott. They want to judge you."  
  
Scott's face tightened almost imperceptibly, but Jean felt the change in his emotions.  
  
"I know what you're feeling Scott, but you have to go. It's the only the way you'll ever be allowed to be an X-man."  
  
"Oh, really, that's great; I've always wanted to be one of those."  
  
"Can the sarcasm Scott."  
  
Scott stood up.  
  
"Let's get this over with."  
  
Jean looked at him.  
  
"Come on Jean, let's just go."  
  
The room was a large one, in the centre of which was a large table, built into the ground. All the X-men were in the room, at least all the ones who were in any condition to attend the meeting. At the head of it sat Erik and next to him were Moira Mctaggert, the Human High Council head, and Logan. Even Ororo and Remy were there. The X- men sat in random order around the table, Kitty and Kurt sitting next to Rogue on the left, and on the other side sat Ororo, Warren, Betsy and Wanda. Piotr stood behind Erik, and Remy leaned against the wall on the right. When Scott and Jean came in they cut off whatever they had been saying. Apparently a heated argument had been taking place. Jean stood next to Scott, her hand squeezed his lightly, then she went and sat down next to Moira.  
  
"So Cyclops, we have debated long on what is to be done about you. Should you be convicted for your crimes and made to serve time in prison or be executed, or should you be absolved of all sin and allowed to become one of us? You have the complete support of Phoenix, who makes it perfectly clear that you are trustworthy and a good man. She also loves you. Psylocke believes that you are a good person at heart but is not too sure how far you can be trusted. Your old comrade in arms, Rumik, believes that you may be telling the truth, but that you should be imprisoned until it is certain you should join us. She of course has been our ally for some time now," Scott's eyes widened at that, he hadn't expected that. He also found all this talk pointless. Erik continued.  
  
"Dr. Mctaggert here was out for your blood. She has no trust for you at all. You killed Xavier, who was our leader. You have killed many of our number, however inadvertently. You were also under no mental conditioning by Dark Beast, unlike Rumik. Whatever you did was by your own free will. Weapon X says that you helped them in the Tower and that without your help they may all have died. You attempted to return Jean to us; you also risked your own life and position. These things have been taken into account, as has been your link with Jean. However we have also come to understand that some things can even be withheld within you, secrets can be kept from the other. Thus we can disregard the link to some extent. Many people who were with you however do not trust you. Many are inclined to think it is all some twisted scheme to finish us. After looking over all the facts and all the information we have been given and consulting all the people gathered here on their own opinion and what instinct tells them we have decided that you should be free to do what you will. We shall not imprison you. However you cannot be part of the X-men. You must also leave this island. Your presence is unsettling and there may be some who would decide to take revenge for what you have done in the past. Do you wish to say anything?" Scott smiled, he could not have expected better.  
  
"I have nothing to say. I am satisfied with what decision you have made for I had no plans on staying here. I cannot go back to the Tower that is certain. I am probably as welcome there as any of you are. I cannot reconcile myself to your beliefs, but I also don't believe in what I have been taught all my life, that you are rebels and should be destroyed. I am done with all of this. With the Tower and with rebels. I wish you luck in what you do."  
  
Scott turned then and walked out of the room. Jean got up and excused herself before following him. The X-men turned to Erik.  
  
"Now what, Erik?" Ororo asked him, "Do we trust the High Prelate? Should he not be watched?" Erik sat in his chair thinking. After a short while he looked up.  
  
"No. I don't think he intends to return to the Tower and I m certain after watching him that he is probably telling the truth. I am still not too sure of this bond Jean has with him, even Charles was unsure about this 'link' business. He researched it for many years, but found no clue as to how it worked. He had no idea of its limits or boundaries, if there are any. No I think we shall have to trust him, and if the bond is as powerful as Jean thinks it is she will be able to keep a better watch on him than any we could ever."  
  
Remy grimaced, but at a warning glance from Ororo he kept silent. Erik looked up at him.  
  
"Remy, will Roulette remain here?"  
  
Remy hesitated, then spoke, "For th' time being we'll stay put. Moira has de best facilities to care for Sarah. Besides, our main base was destroyed, an' our mobile base would be detected too easily. Non, we're fine here. T'anks for letting us stay."  
  
Erik waved his comment aside, "Nonsense Remy, you're an X-man, even if you don't want to be called one. So is all of your team."  
  
Suddenly Logan spoke up.  
  
"Good that's finally been settled. The only question I have, and I think everyone here may have thought of it at some point, is whether Jeannie is going to stay with us or go with soldier boy?" The thought raised several exclamations, but they were all hushed by Erik.  
  
"That would be most distressing, but I think she will stay. She knows how much we will need her."  
  
x----------- ------------x  
  
"So I guess this is goodbye then."  
  
Scott stopped in front of the steps heading down towards the small pier. Jean stood behind him, hands behind her back, looking up at him unhappily.  
  
Scott nodded slowly. She would be able to read nothing from him; he was keeping his thoughts to himself as much as possible.  
  
"You don't have to go you know. I could force the X-men to keep you here. I could threaten to quit and leave until they agreed to let you stay."  
  
Scott smiled then, "No Jean, they need you more than I do. You know you couldn't leave them. You have to stay, just as I have to go. That's why I haven't asked you to come with me. I know you would always be thinking of the X-men. No Jean I have to go, and I have to go alone. You'll know where I am always, through our bond, as I will know about you. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."  
  
Jean stared at him for a second, then Scott felt weary resignation through their link, and a strange determination. Jean walked up to him and pressed herself hard against him. Her arms curled around his neck and she stood there, her face buried in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly she kissed him hard on the lips, and a telepathic message slammed into his forehead. If you fall, I will fall with you. I will love you. forever.  
  
Scott stumbled backwards as she released him and stepped back. Scott stared into her eyes for a second drinking in her every feature, then turned and walked away from her, heading down the steps.. He turned around once aboard the boat, a small speedboat actually, the X-men had provided him with. He raised a hand in farewell, and then started the engine and sped away, leaving a small figure watching him from the top of the cliff.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Asmodeus walked into the brightly lit room angrily. That fool Juggernaut had failed in killing even one of the Betrayers, much less Sammael. Now Sammael had already begun to put in extra effort in bringing them down. Three of his fellow Externals were there. They would not be pleased at the news he was bringing. Juggernaut had escaped from the prison they had sealed him in after he had brought them the news of his failure. Behamen, Galaire and Gilgamesh sat around the table. Asmodeus was slightly nervous. Over the years he had managed to bring the remaining Externals together, and had kept a tenuous hold on some sort of leadership over the group. However that could all change. At best they would keep him in the coalition, however as an equal member. At worst they would kill him and the coalition would dissolve, leaving Sammael to pick them off easily. He prepared to teleport at a moments notice, though he might not even have that. It was good that Astaroth wasn't here. He would take Juggernauts escape as a personal insult. He himself had sealed him with the most unbreakable substance he could make. However, some outside source had freed him, and Asmodeus, who had been guarding the prison, would be given the blame.  
  
"Ah, you are finally here. We have been waiting for you." Asmodeus didn't like the look on Gilgamesh's face as he said that.  
  
"I am sorry to have been delayed. I have dire news."  
  
If anything Gilgamesh's face grew even happier, as far as Asmodeus could tell from how Gilgamesh's face was hidden.  
  
"Do tell Asmodeus." Galaire sounded bored. She usually did though.  
  
"Juggernaut has escaped."  
  
"What?" Behamen cried.  
  
"That's impossible! Astaroth made it as strong as he could. No one, not even a Celestial himself could have broken through that."  
  
Gilgamesh watched patiently, and now Asmodeus was sure Gilgamesh was smiling.  
  
It is annoying news at best, however we can let it pass. We have more pressing -"  
  
He was cut off by Gilgamesh, "No. We cannot let it pass. You have been making far too many errors recently. I do not trust you to be able to complete any objective we have set. This job of guarding The Juggernaut was your last chance as far as I am concerned. I think we should just rid ourselves of you."  
  
Asmodeus stood in anger.  
  
"Are you insane? Sammael is already going insane; you would not survive without my massive network of spies."  
  
Gilgamesh was about to answer when Behamen's small beringed hand touched his lightly.  
  
"He is right, Gilgamesh. We need to work together. However, you have no more leadership Asmodeus. You have proved to be inept. You will work with us."  
  
Galaire nodded regally, her eyes cold. Gilgamesh hesitated and then nodded his assent, grimacing.  
  
Asmodeus bowed his head. In truth he was heartened by the news. He had to make sure he didn't slip up again.  
  
"I shall of course, bow to the consensus."  
  
"What consensus?" Astaroth enquired walking into the room.  
  
Galaire briefed him on the events and Astaroth frowned. He wasn't too angry though.  
  
"I have good news though. Perhaps news that may offset this misfortune. I have felt the presence of some power, another External perhaps."  
  
The others greeted this news with varying degrees of shock. Asmodeus's mouth dropped open, Galaire stopped tapping her fingers on the desk and stared at Astaroth. Behamen squealed; but Gilgamesh nearly fell backwards in surprise. The hooded man's cloak slipped a little, showing grayish tinged skin and glittering black eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"How is that possible? All except us were wiped out in the first two strikes of Apocalypse's armies. If any were alive we would have found him by now, or at least the Tower would have." Galaire nearly spluttered.  
  
"I don't know, all I know is that I felt something familiar, a trace of power that I knew centuries ago. It is . unsettling."  
  
"We must find this 'power' and convince him to join us. Perhaps then we could attack Sammael, not to mention Apocalypse." All the others looked at Gilgamesh.  
  
"You are right. Let us not waste time," a broad smile spread across Behamen's face, "The Hellfire Club shall finally have its revenge."  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
"It is time."  
  
Apocalypse strode towards the chambers. They had begun glowing more and more brilliantly as time had passed, but were now glowing very faintly and emitted a low hum. Apocalypse stood between all the four chambers and smiled. He pressed a switch on his gauntlets and the four chambers rose slowly till they were almost vertical.  
  
"Come my horsemen, the call to arms has sounded, and the horsemen are needed."  
  
The doors of the chambers emitted a low hissing sound as they opened.  
  
"Death, to take the souls of the enemy."  
  
The first chamber, that emitted a blue glow opened and a figure stepped out, in robes as black as midnight. Its face was hidden beneath a hood; all that could be seen were two glowing blue eyes. Something stirred beneath the folds of its robes and a hand emerged, surrounded by the same blue glow. A hand wrapped in a black gauntlet, which glowed from the inside, and skeletal fingers could almost be seen, glowing blue, beneath the black metal. Clutched in the fist was a staff, at the end of which was a scythe like blade, also glowing in the ethereal blue. As it moved to stand before Apocalypse, it's boots clanked on the ground.  
  
"Plague, to decay their bodies and minds."  
  
The green glowing chamber opened and another figure stepped out, this one garbed in a leathery sort of armor, beneath which green-hued, mottled and rotting skin could be seen. Its face was gaunt and the skin was stretched tight over the bones. Two gleaming green pinpoints stared out of the dark hollows of the eye sockets. Long wispy hair streaked back from the temple and hung below the shoulders of the figure. A cape flared behind the figure, which it swung around to shroud itself. A cowl slipped into place over the figures head. In the darkness of the room the dark-green cape looked almost black.  
  
"War, to bring down the fires of might."  
  
The purple glowing chamber opened and another figure stepped out, the most human so far. It was a lusciously beautiful woman, with long raven black hair. Her generously proportioned body was wrapped in black skintight leather. The leather was covered, in some places, with dark purple colored armor. Her eyes were a smoky purple, which gleamed as she walked forward. The armor was spiky, with long blade like protrusions coming out at the shoulders and elbows and smaller protrusions coming out at the knees and ankles. At her side swung a scabbard, from which the copper-skinned woman drew a purple gleaming sword, holding it point down in front of her, as she took her place beside the other two figures. As she stopped her petulantly smiling mouth became flat, and the two bangs that framed her face stopped swinging to hang still. The point of the sword struck the floor, sinking a few centimeters into the reinforced metal.  
  
"And Beast, to turn their cities to ashes!"  
  
The final chamber opened and a hulking figure approached. Its eyes glowed red, as did its claws. As it walked forward the room shook with the force of its weight. It opened its mouth and a growling sound emerged from the depths. It unfurled its tattered wings, and then folded them again after stretching them. Its tail snaked around the small tables. Its skin was coated in reddish brown hair and two large horns sprouted from behind its ears. As it took its place in front of Apocalypse, its wings unfurled slightly to sweep around its body, covering all but its face.  
  
"At last, ride my four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The end of the world, as people have known it is at hand."  
  
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So? Like? Don't like? Please review. 


	2. The Cards are Dealt

Disclaimer: I don't own AoA, or the X-men. All original characters are mine however.  
  
A/N: Thanks to 4Rogue and Sweetlikeachocolate for reviewing, and for the wonderful words of praise. Here's the next installment. Oh yeah, and the horsemen are not OC's.  
  
*~*  
  
The Cards are Dealt  
  
Not many people would have dared to cross the Mediterranean in a boat, and no one in his or her right mind would attempt to traverse it in a wooden tub. Well to be fair it wasn't really a tub. It came close though. With his precious supply of food and water finishing, Scott was beginning to think he should have accepted Jeans offer, and stayed on with the X-men. Even being their prisoner would have been better than certain doom. Scott was no pessimist, but he knew when he was lost, and that was exactly what he was. It was the damn storms fault. If it hadn't blown him every which where but back towards the Island, and gotten rid of his navigating equipment, he would have been fine. Instead he had no idea where the hell he was going, and didn't even know if he was heading out towards the Atlantic Ocean itself. Scott steered his boat slightly towards the right. If he judged right, then no matter where he went he would hit land at some point or the other. He hoped it was soon; his food would be finished in a week, and his water in two. Scott was a hard man. When training to be a Prelate he had once sailed across 72 miles of water with no compass or map to speak of. He had braved the elements and defeated a wild mutant at the end of it too. Sinister had been pleased. Scott shook his head. At the time he had thought it was pride on Sinister's part; that the External had been happy that his son had accomplished his mission so well.  
  
He knew different now. It was more likely that Sinister had seen a useful tool being welded. He grimaced. It was pointless thinking on things like that. Far better to think of other things. He reached out through the bond to reassure himself of Jeans well being. Jean was content at the moment, though her thoughts were shadowed with worry for him. Scott smiled. Over this distance, only the barest hint was given of the others sense of well being. He knew that with this bond he could track her anywhere in the world and vice versa.  
  
A sudden gale forced him to stop his musing and begin controlling his sailboat with all his concentration. He could not afford to be pulled in the wrong direction. He swore under his breath and began pulling the sail to the right. The boom began swinging towards him slowly. Scott gritted his teeth fighting against the wind. Suddenly he saw that clouds had gathered in the air, and he heard a crack of thunder. * Oh Fuck *. Suddenly the wind grew stronger, and again stronger. It was all he could do to hold the sail in place. He would not be defeated by a simple storm. He was the High Prelate. No he wasn't, but he used to be. He had defeated a man even the Externals had feared. And they had played him like a harp. They had used him to do their dirty work. The sail pulled this way and that as the winds grew stronger, and the rope thrashed in his hands like some sort of wild animal. He felt his hands slick, and realized that the rope had cut into him.  
  
He planted his feet firmly on the deck and stood. Then he pulled back with all his might. He heard a snapping sound. Then the mast seemed to splinter before his eyes and the sail flew through the air. It was only his quick thinking that saved him. He let go of the rope and fell backwards. The waves tossed the boat this way and that, and Scott felt his stomach churning. He shook his head violently and looked around. Spotting the bag that contained the large survival kit he clutched it to his chest. It contained the last of his food and water as well. A miniature survival kit was attached to his belt. Scott attached his armored gloves to his gauntlets after slipping them on. Without them if he tried to wield the energy through his hands, they would burn. He powered up and blasted a ray into the water behind him, using the force of the energy striking the water to propel him. The water churned and flared up around him, even as waves broke over the area where he first shot at. Scott clipped the machete to his side. He would need other protection than his beams only, especially if he happened to find himself in a country not friendly to mutants. There were only two on the Mediterranean coast, but he didn't want to luck his chances. The way things were going he would probably wind up in one of them. Suddenly a wave reared up before him, and before he could do anything he had gone halfway up the damn thing. He jumped as his boat flipped and landed on it as it headed back down. * OH Bloody Hell. * He half swayed half surfed on the side of the boat before it and he smashed into oblivion.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Sinister walked down the hallways of the Tower. The guards snapped to attention as he passed, and the servants scurried out of his way. One did not need to look at him twice to know that he was angry. Sinister's heels clicked on the marble as he approached the Hall of the Externals. He was in a very foul mood and he had to take it out on someone. So far he had not had any excuse and Apocalypse would not like it if he killed one of the guards. The door opened as he strode forward and hissed into place behind him. Sinister came and stood in the centre of the room. The other Externals were there. Candra was slowly sipping a drink in her hands, and watching the other two carefully. Exodus and Sammael had been talking as he entered and turned to face him as he came in.  
  
"Ah, Nathaniel, you are finally here. Now we can begin."  
  
Sinister smiled slightly. "My deepest apologies, but I was delayed in my laboratory."  
  
Sinister climbed up the steps that led to his seat. The others took their seats and the four seats moved across the floor to form a circle. Sinister sat facing Sammael.  
  
"We must redeem ourselves in Apocalypse's eyes. He has lost much of his trust in us, and that was not too much to begin with."  
  
Sinister's eyes narrowed. Candra had never spoken this way before. She was usually content to let the others do most of the talking. She had never taken the initiative on any meeting they had.  
  
"Yes, yes, but we must also deal with those renegade Externals. They have gotten more and more bold of late. It would be best to crush them before they have another chance to strike at us."  
  
Sinister made no outward response to Sammael's statement, but on the inside he laughed grimly. Sammael had always had an obsession with destroying the renegade Externals. A very dangerous obsession to be truthful and also very useful to him. Sammael had managed to kill nearly all but a handful of the Externals that stood against Apocalypse and them. If anything that showed that Sammael was a dangerous man. He had also done him and the other Externals a favor by killing so many dangerous enemies. He would need to arrange it so that Sammael should himself fall against the renegades, while managing to finish off the last of them.  
  
"What of the two renegade Prelates? Do we let them get away?"  
  
Exodus had been in a foul mood as well. Ever since he had faced defeat at the hands of those X-men and the Prelate Rumik. Exodus had been very proud of his work with Rumik. To find her able to break through his conditioning had been a blow to the External. Not to mention the fact that he had been defeated in his encounter against the X-men. It was only a small comfort to know that all the other Externals had been defeated and had only just retreated. However his point was a good one. The Prelates that had turned renegade must be found and destroyed. Especially Scott Summers. Sinister wanted to have the pleasure of killing that deceitful bastard for himself. Exodus or any of the others could have Rumik. Cyclops was his.  
  
"You are all right. We must kill the traitorous rebels, we must finish off the remaining Externals, and we must also prove ourselves to Apocalypse. if only to curry his favor a little longer."  
  
The other three turned their gazes sharply towards him. They had never openly voiced their mutual enmity of Apocalypse. Each knew the other had his or her own agenda, and each also knew that the other would betray them to Apocalypse as easily as they would pretend to co-operate with them. This was the first time any of them had spoken out so plainly. Sinister smiled.  
  
"Yes, it is no longer time for us to hide from the truth. We each wish to de-throne Apocalypse, and perhaps take his place. That is why we have always been so circumspect in our efforts to hide from any and all our true plans. However he now has new power, a new force that could kill us where we stand. The horsemen are not something we can easily trifle with. In any protracted fight we may overcome them, but not without taking heavy casualties."  
  
The others mulled over this, and Candra shifted in her seat. "We know all this Sinister, what is your point?"  
  
"The point, my dear Candra, is that we need to work together for once. I don't mean pretend to work together, but actually work together to bring down our enemies. After that. we go our own ways as usual."  
  
Sammael looked up at Sinister. His eyes stared into his for a long time. Finally he spoke:  
  
"So you propose we finally get on with it. You want us to finally finish Apocalypse. It is a very daring plan you must have Sinister. We must take him down before his horsemen find out. If they find out before we can finish Apocalypse then we may all perish."  
  
Sinister smiled at him.  
  
"Oh, you can believe me Sammael. My plan will not only finish off Apocalypse, it will deal with the rebel X-men and the Externals in the same blow."  
  
The Externals leaned forward, now truly interested.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Alex lay in bed his hands folded behind his head. The last week had been especially harrowing for the young Prelate. The Tower had been broken into twice, an assault had been carried out and prisoners had been freed from the containment cells and breeding pens. In the assault and the two infiltrations, A Prelate, Lumina had been injured and another Prelate had turned traitor, Rumik.  
  
They had lost three mutant units and fifteen soldier units. Worse than that an External, Archanfel had died. In Alex's mind though, the worst thing to happen in the last week was the fact that his brother Scott, the High Prelate had turned traitor as well. In all of Alex's wildest imaginings, that had never struck him as something that could ever happen. To Alex, Scott had earlier been an idol, but later had earned Alex's envy. Alex had always desperately wanted to be like Scott. Throughout their childhood Scott had been the better tactician. He could outmaneuver Alex in his sleep it had seemed to him. They had always been fairly evenly matched in power and in agility, although Scott had been a better fighter than him. The only way Alex had ever exceeded him had been in ability to use their mutant powers. Scott's head injury when young had caused him to develop a block against using his powers properly; therefore he was confined to a visor that he had to control using a knob to alter the frequency of his optic blasts. Scott had been confined behind a ruby prison. Alex had had no such accident and he could channel his energy through his hands and use it at whatever frequency he wished with but a thought, that had always been something Alex had been proud of. He was better a something than Scott. Scott had trained hard though, and with Sinister's help, had narrowed the difference in their ability to use their powers down to a miniscule difference, hardly apparent to any except those who knew what to look for. Scott had confided in him however that Sinister had been constructing Gauntlets for Scott to use.  
  
Those gauntlets would give Scott the ability to use his power as Alex did; through his hands. Alex's envy had bloomed then, and grown.  
  
All that was dross now though. All that remained was the fact that Scott had gone over to the enemy. Alex raised a hand in the air and watched as it began glowing with energy. The other Prelates could deal with Rumik when they found the X-men, but Scott was his. For what Scott had done, Alex swore he would kill him.  
  
A figure stirred at his side. A hand came out from below the covers and ran lightly up his chest. Alex caught the hand as it lay over a nipple.  
  
"Alex, go to sleep. Your thinking is bothering me."  
  
Alex turned to Lorna and stared at her face. Lorna stared back at him, then shook her head.  
  
"Alex, you've got to let it go. It wasn't your fault that everything that happened, happened."  
  
"I can't just let it go Lorna. Why did Scott leave? I don't understand it. He was the one who had always gone on about loyalty and commitment. Why did he turn?"  
  
Lorna got up into a sitting position and cupped his face gently in her hands.  
  
"No one knows that except Scott, Alex. Musing over it will do no good. We can only guess at his reasons. Who knows, maybe this is just one of his plans, though I doubt that. For now all we can do is hope that Scott had some reason to do this. Otherwise."  
  
"Otherwise we'll have to kill him."  
  
Lorna nodded. "Yes, we'll just have to be strong enough to deal with him when and if the time comes. If he did turn traitor, we have to kill him," suddenly Lorna's voice turned nasty, "Him and Magneto. For what Magneto did, I will kill him."  
  
Lorna's voice trembled at the last, and Alex gathered her into his arms. They lay there in their bed, taking comfort against their mutual losses.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
"Ask Rogue? What de hell is dat supposed to mean?"  
  
Remy sat on the stool in consternation. Nothing had gone his way since the attack on the Tower. Not only was Rogue practically ignoring him, but now Emma wanted nothing to do with him either. Well not exactly that, but she had resisted against his efforts for two days now. Once he had gotten under her defenses he was sure he had it made. Now she was treating him like, well like a friend, and one who used to be a lover at that, not one who was anymore. To add onto that Wanda had gotten an attack of guilt, and over the past few days had decided that Rogue was a good enough person to be a stepmother to her, and that Rogue really did love Magneto, as he should be. Due to this, she now refused to talk to Remy till he apologized to Rogue for all the offensiveness they had shown her. That was really unfair of her because Remy couldn't do that, it wasn't possible. The Ragin' Cajun did not apologize when he was in the right. Storm had also decided that he was not well, and had also convinced Moira somehow. Storm apparently thought that while he had been propped up in Sinister's lab, he had been infected with a disease, or had undergone an experiment that had to have changed him somehow, and that Sinister probably implanted a tracking device in him. Because of that he had had to undergo a very thorough examination at the hands of three women: Jean, Ororo and Moira. Since then they had been extremely angry with him. Well, to be honest it wasn't entirely his fault. What the hell was a man supposed to do when a woman ran his hands over his body, especially when he was awake? As a result he had gotten three sharp slaps from them and a notice that until he learned to behave, he would not be welcome in their presence. The only female mutants left to talk to were Kitty, Betsy, Helena and Raven. Betsy and Helena were too busy 'catching up' to be of any use there. Raven was off with Gavin, attempting to salvage anything that might remain in their old base.  
  
Kitty would be with Piotr somewhere. Trying to talk to members of the Human High Council was pointless; they would not be comfortable around him. Remy sighed and got off the stool; he pulled on his duster and walked out of the room. What was the world coming to when there wasn't a decent woman to flirt with?  
  
Remy walked along the halls aimlessly, finally coming to the one that opened up into the remembrance hall. He walked in. This was the hall dedicated to the greatest heroes of the X-men. All of those who had died had been buried here. Remy walked along the gravestones reading the names.  
  
Morph  
  
Remy had been there when Morph had fallen to Quja with a mutant unit. That had been a sad day. Morph had been someone who had always cheered up the group, always ready with a joke or a quip. Remy had liked him.  
  
Jubilee  
  
Remy felt a great sense of loss looking down at the gravestone. Jubilee had been another person who should never have died. She had been only seventeen when she died. Jubilee had been like a sister to Remy. She had died a few weeks after he had left the X-men. Another death that Remy felt partially responsible for.  
  
Lila Cheney, that massive traitor Guido who had been in Roulette, even the singer Dazzler had fallen. The list went on. Remy stopped in front of another gravestone. This one had been given a lot of tribute. The name that had been etched had been done with the wishes of the dead person. The stone simply read:  
  
Professor X  
  
Father, Mentor and Friend to us all.  
  
May he rest in peace.  
  
Remy sighed. The body was not really there of course. That had been taken back to the Tower where God alone knows what had happened to it. According to Helena though Cyclops himself had buried it. That had perhaps been a factor in why Erik and Moira had decided to let him go. That and what Jean had told them about Xavier's dying words about Cyclops.  
  
Remy knelt in front of the grave and prayed.  
  
After a few moments he got up feeling better. He turned to go. Something else had also been puzzling him though, and it cropped up in his mind. Why had Sinister wanted to experiment on him so badly? For that matter, why had Candra taken such an interest in him? Remy needed more help. He decided to go to the one place that always gave him the peace and feeling of solitude he wanted. Remy needed to pay a visit to Belladonna.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Jean sat in her room. She was worried. As Scott had gone farther away, so had her link diminished. She could still sense him, but more dimly. She could no longer sense his every thought and emotion over this long distance. She had considered using Cerebro to see if it would enhance her link, but had dismissed that idea as being silly. She would simply have to get used to Scott's presence being less in her head. She knew he was somewhere south west of them, but more than that she couldn't be sure of. She could have tracked him if necessary, but again that had not been what he wanted. He had wanted her to stay with the X-men. In truth her loyalties had been divided. Yet she knew Scott was right. The X-men had needed her, still needed her. Once their battle was over, she could be with Scott, not before. She also realized that Scott had his own personal problems to sort out. She had to get a grip on herself and focus on the threat of Apocalypse. He would retaliate, that was for certain, but how he would do so was not certain. Those kill-droids of his were a new complication. The good news was that with two of his Prelates gone, one the High Prelate himself and an External dead, the balance might still end up becoming the same as it was before. Therefore, while their odds were still slim, they now had enough knowledge of the enemy, thanks to Rumik, to attempt to defeat them. The knowledge that the Externals bore each other as much enmity as they did the X-men was enlightening. A knock on the door interrupted Jeans train of thought.  
  
"Come in."  
  
The door opened to reveal Ororo, Warren and Logan.  
  
"So guys, what's the matter?"  
  
They all stared at her for a second. Then Warren spoke up.  
  
"Well, Jean to be honest we were worried about you. Ever since Cyclops left you've been like a zombie, walking around in a trance like state every time we see you."  
  
"Yes, I too was worried, and we all wanted to help you. I know you think you love him, but-"  
  
"Not think, Ororo, I do love him. And furthermore he loves me too."  
  
Ororo lifted a placating hand.  
  
"I didn't mean to question your heart, though I do not know how you can be so sure he loves you. He always was a tricky man. He could have come up with this as a plan to infiltrate our base and destroy us."  
  
Jean's eyes flashed angrily and she stood.  
  
"He did not. I'm as sure of him as I am of you. More in fact."  
  
Ororo's eyes widened and she stood up confronting Jean.  
  
"How can you say that? I am as loyal to this team as you are."  
  
Logan stood up before Jean could say anything and grabbing both women's arms with his one he pushed them into their respective chairs.  
  
"Shut up. Ororo, we're here to cheer Jean up, not pick fights with her. And Jean, Ororo's worth as a part of this team should not come into question."  
  
The two glared at each other, then both women blushed.  
  
"I'm sorry Jean. I did not mean to put you or Cyclops down. You're mood has just been getting me down recently, that and Remy's behavior compounded by Sarah's still being in a coma. Even I do not have an infinite store of patience and well." She shrugged.  
  
"I'm sorry too Ororo, I didn't mean what I said either. I do trust you, as much as I ever did. You're my best friend girl, and don't you forget it. I'm sorry about my mood, I just came to the same realization a few moments before you came in."  
  
Ororo smiled at Jean, who smiled back at her long time friend.  
  
"Good, now that that's settled, I also wanted to talk to all three of you anyway, that's why I recruited you two on the way to Jean's room. Neither of you have clocked any danger room hours since you returned. So unless you want Mags on your ass, I suggest you get in there and get some training done. I'll be watching you with Kitty, who is developing a new program with me and Erik."  
  
The other three glared at the feral mutants retreating back as he walked out.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
The five Externals walked up the mountain. Gilgamesh walked over the rocks and dirt as though it were glass beneath his feet, nearly gliding over the uneven ground. It was a technique he had perfected over his over two millennia of life. Gilgamesh smirked inwardly. The others were having some slight difficulty over crossing the terrain. Asmodeus stumbled over every rock and shallow. The mans nerve had been nearly broken. Gilgamesh had control over the group in the palm of his hand, when that overbearing idiot Astaroth had come up with the news of another External. That had saved Asmodeus's hide, but he was still no longer as confident as he had once been. Gilgamesh had long strived to gain leadership of the External's but Shaman and then Asmodeus had been too suspicious of him. The others had followed those two fools completely and with complete conviction. It had become necessary for Gilgamesh to shape events in the enemies' favor, till things stood where he wanted. Now it seemed he would have another threat to deal with. Still, Gilgamesh had met no enemy that had daunted him yet, including Apocalypse. With his powers and cunning he would always come out the winner, he was sure of that.  
  
"We're nearly there." That fool Astaroth had walked over rocks as though they were smooth ground, and indeed before him they had just crumbled. Such was the power of the man, though he could make nothing organic change shape. A good power, but with limitations. His own power was one that had far less limitations. He began hording energy within him. If necessary, he would kill this External.  
  
Behamen then came down from the sky. She had been flying in the air, as a reconnaissance.  
  
"There's something up ahead, a cave of some sort."  
  
Astaroth smiled, "Yes, that's exactly where I felt it. Then it was as though that person realized someone might detect him or her and shielded him or herself. I was shielded then, and shielded as we are now, we should be able to take him unawares."  
  
Gilgamesh nearly burst out laughing. God, Astaroth was a simpleton. It was more than likely that this External had gone from here, and had left a few unpleasant surprises for them. However, they were committed to finding the External. The others all believed that they needed the External to help them defeat Apocalypse. He had no such ideas. He knew quite well that defeating Apocalypse would not be easy, but he also knew that Apocalypse had never faced one with his powers. If he took the bastard by surprise he would be able to vanquish him, he was sure of that.  
  
"There it is."  
  
The Externals walked into the cave one by one, Asmodeus being the last to enter. He looked around him. The cave was dark, even just a few feet into the cave. The others crowded close into the confined space.  
  
"There's nothing here Astaroth. The wall ends in a dead end a few feet ahead."  
  
Gilgamesh's voice rang out from a bit ahead.  
  
"No, actually there's a bend over here, where there's a crack. We all could fit into it quite easily, except Astaroth."  
  
How had Gilgamesh gotten that far ahead? Asmodeus could have sworn he was next to him a second ago. The others headed for the crack and Asmodeus followed. The others were beginning to lose respect for him, that was for sure. He had seen Galaire smile contemptuously at him as she went past. Asmodeus would have to regain that respect; otherwise he was as good as dead. As they walked around the cave, Gilgamesh kept on going more and more ahead, until they could barely hear him when he deigned to speak. Asmodeus kept on growing more and more suspicious. Perhaps this was all some trap of Gilgamesh's. If that were the case, he would tear him apart with his bare hands. The finally reached a small hallway of some sort, that was lit from the outside, by some sort of radiance from the rocks.  
  
"Hmm, phosphorous. Strange, it is not usually found so close to surface." Gilgamesh stood before a door embedded in the wall. Astaroth ran toward in excitement. He had always reminded Asmodeus of a boy sometimes. He opened the door before they could stop him. The fool, how could he have been so careless?  
  
However there was no trap laid for them inside. As they walked into the dark chamber ahead, Gilgamesh called out from ahead, "There is someone in here."  
  
The room immediately lit up, and a voice called out.  
  
"There is indeed someone in here en' Ulas."  
  
The External's turned as one towards the right of the room, where the voice had come from.  
  
There were steps there leading upwards, where a figure stood in the shadows. It began to descend, speaking as it did.  
  
"So, it took you all long enough. I was beginning to think you would never show yourselves. It appears Shaman did not teach you all well enough. I have been awake for a while now, and I expected you much before this."  
  
The figure resolved itself into that of a powerfully built man, dressed in a high collared black shirt which was open part of the way in front. He wore black form fitting tights, and high black boots. His arms and hands were covered in black gauntlets. He had a high forehead, with dark brows jutting out over his eyes, which were jet black in color. His face was cold and forbidding, with thin lips and high cheekbones, as well as a straight slightly long nose. His hair was long, and swept back from his forehead, with a few strands framing his face, the rest hanging below his shoulders. Something tickled the back of Asmodeus's mind when he looked at the man, but nothing came to light. The man stood before them impassively looking at all of them, clearly awaiting some sort of response.  
  
"What do you mean, you expected us?" Asmodeus was proud that his voice did not shake. He would not admit it, but this man frightened him.  
  
The man turned to look at him directly.  
  
"You mean you have no clue as to who I am? Do any of you know who I am?"  
  
The others shook their heads.  
  
"Damn me for getting stuck with a brainless lot. Did Shaman not tell you anything? You Devinrok, you were his favorite pupil. Did he never mention me?"  
  
"Who are you?" Gilgamesh voiced what had been growing in all their minds.  
  
"I am Nidlen Halfbane."  
  
The words spoken with such simplicity shook Asmodeus to his core. Apparently the others were not affected. They of course did not know. Nidlen Halfbane was the man who had taught Shaman all that he had known. The man Shaman had told him had died years ago. Nidlen Halfbane was also the half brother of Sammael. They had been the only Externals who had been close to Apocalypse's own age. Both these Externals had been very powerful, especially Halfbane. Now Asmodeus remembered where he had seen the man. Shaman had shown him a hologram of him once.  
  
Gilgamesh stepped forward then, "Halfbane? What's this half that you're the bane of? What kind of stupid person calls himself Halfbane?"  
  
Halfbane smiled and stepped forward. "This kind."  
  
Gilgamesh stood looking at him then turned away, "A fool. That is who you have led us to Astaroth. Someone who thinks he knew Shaman. A madman who thinks we have been waiting for his arrival. Someone who might be strong enough to serve our ends though. I suggest we make him work for us."  
  
The other External's now emboldened by Gilgamesh's words nodded their assent. Gilgamesh turned and looked at the large mutant.  
  
"Well, Halfbane?" Gilgamesh gave the name an insulting twist, "do you swear fealty to us? If not we will kill you now and be done with it. You can either work for us, or be crushed by us. The choice is simple."  
  
Halfbane had lost any look of amusement he had. He unfolded his arms and held them loosely by his side.  
  
"I am disappointed, I would have thought Shaman would have taught you better than that. I see I will have to teach you what it means to fear Nidlen Halfbane. I will neither work for anyone, nor be crushed by anyone. Many have tried, including that madman Nur. All failed in killing me, and only Nur just managed to imprison me. I am now free and have been waiting for you all to come. I give you the same choice you gave me. Fight and be crushed or bow to me!"  
  
The other External's faces grew more and more grim as he spoke and now Astaroth swung out his hammer at Halfbane's last words.  
  
"Enough talk. We are done with you. Die Halfbane."  
  
Asmodeus felt the moisture gather in the air and had a split second warning. He moved to quickly stand beside Galaire as the others did, except Gilgamesh, who had disappeared. A massive jet of water appeared out of thin air and slammed into Halfbane who staggered back. His brows drew together and he raised a hand. The lights of the chamber winked out. In the dark Asmodeus could not make out anyone for a few seconds, then his eyes began to get used to the dark and he could just barely make out the forms of Galaire and Astaroth next to him. Behamen had presumably taken to the air. Asmodeus looked to where Halfbane had been. He looked more closely, and then he saw something glow there. The thing resolved itself into a large swallow, a sword like weapon with blades on both sides of the grip. Somebody was holding it, and Asmodeus didn't need to guess twice on who it was. Astaroth charged forward, his hammer glowing as he made it harder than diamonds. Asmodeus shot a temporal blast into the air, watching the chamber in the split second illumination that he gained. He knew that Halfbane couldn't possibly withstand all of them. He would rather be on the side of the winning team. It was a pity though; Halfbane would probably have been useful, even as a master over them. Suddenly in the fading light he saw a glance of something . black . hurling itself onto Halfbane. Astaroth struck at the swallow, but surprisingly it cut right through the hammer. Astaroth bellowed and stepped back.  
  
The lights came on again, just in time to see a black shadow slam into Halfbane. Halfbane flew back and landed on the steps. He pulled himself up and looked at Gilgamesh who was now standing on a rocky outcropping. thirty feet in the air? How did Gilgamesh get there, Asmodeus wondered.  
  
"So you are the shadow master. No matter, I will deal with you as Nur dealt with your trainer."  
  
Asmodeus saw Gilgamesh stiffen. What Halfbane had said had struck home. Astaroth got up and his hammer shaped itself back into place. Halfbane whipped the swallow around and slashed at Astaroth. Astaroth leaped back, and the swallow slashed through the air in front of him.  
  
"Sonofabitch." Astaroth leaped forward again and a blast of energy hit him square in the chest. Astaroth crumpled to the floor. Galaire had already prepared another aqua-blast and hurled it at Halfbane. He fell back on the steps again. Behamen came and stood before him. She looked into his eyes.  
  
"Rise." Behamen's command was spoken huskily. Halfbane seemed to get up against his own will.  
  
"Cease your efforts to fight us. We are your masters. Succumb to our will."  
  
Halfbane stood there for a moment then his mouth opened. All of a sudden his eyes flashed. Asmodeus's eyes widened, but before he could speak a word of warning Behamen flew back with the front of her armor smoking. A blur smashed into Halfbane's chest and he fell to his knees, grunting.  
  
"You are quite strong. I am not strong enough to beat you all."  
  
He jumped backwards and hovered in the air a moment. He floated back to the top of the stairs and hit something on the wall. A low gong was heard and then three secret doors in the walls of the cave chamber opened up and in flowed a whole army of people. There must have been nearly a thousand people in that room. The Externals bunched together in a circle. Astaroth's body lay by the steps and Behamen lay in front of them, by the soldier's feet.  
  
"A pity. I did not mean my army to be used to subjugate you. It is a pity you Externals have kept your pride and dignity, but have left your brains and memories far behind. You shall all now serve me, till Nur has been dethroned and my own brother Sammael lives no more."  
  
A few soldiers woke Astaroth up and a few others also revived Behamen. The External's lined up before Halfbane.  
  
"Bow to me now Externals, for you are mine."  
  
=======================================  
  
So? How was it? Please send any feedback, praising or critical.  
  
I should upload fairly frequently, as half the story is already finished. Anyway. some trouble coming in the next few chapters. Read on. 


	3. Desert Isle

Well. here's chapter two. I'll try to maintain my update speed of one chap a day.  
  
Enjoy.  
  
*~*  
  
Desert Isle  
  
It was a dark night. Scott had been afraid, but his mother had told him that it was all right. It was just the clouds that had covered the moon. However Scott's father had seemed uneasy and his mother had looked around a bit fearfully when she thought Scott wasn't looking. Scott ran to where his brother had been playing with a few other children, most of them around their own ages. A small girl had slipped in the mud as it began to rain. Alex and Scott had helped her up and taken her to her home that had been right next to theirs. Then as Scott and Alex had been settled, they heard shouts from outside, and then the unmistakable sound of a gunshot, followed by what sounded like a humming noise which went into a screech. Someone had screamed in agony and Scott's father had gone outside to investigate. Scott and Alex crept out of their bed. The noise of bullets rose, and now more sounds were coming. Explosions that could only be mortar shells. Then had come the sound that chilled Scott to the bone and caused Alex to cry out in fear. Their father had shouted in anger, then screamed in agony. Scott ran forward to stop whatever it was that had hurt his father. His mother screamed from behind, and something loomed up in front of him suddenly. Then all was blackness.  
  
The gentle and soothing sound of waves lapping the surface broke into Scott's thoughts. Scott opened his eyes. He was alive and relatively unharmed. He tried to move his arms and found nothing broken. He tried again with his legs, and then tried to move his neck. Nothing seemed broken. He was suddenly aware that something was digging into his side. He rose and felt along his side. The medicine pack was still there. That was good, however the larger one had disappeared. The machete was still strapped to his thigh. That was good too. His clothes, given by the X-men were all right, except for his jacket. That had been lost with the rest of his equipment. He looked around him. There were a few trees to be seen, and beyond that the ground looked the same. Dunes stretched on either side of him as far as he could see.  
  
* Great, I had to end up on a desert island. Hey Scott, at least you're alive. Yeah, I'm alive. Without any supplies, I don't know if death's only been delayed. *  
  
Scott looked around again, more carefully. Debris from his ship littered the ground nearer to the sea. Perhaps he could salvage something. He walked towards the broken planks and the large sail lying on the ground a few feet away. He poked around in the sand, scaring away a small lizard in the process. His hopes flared as he saw the large medical pack under a large plank. Scott hurled away the plank and lifted the bag. He opened it hurriedly and looked through the contents. Nothing was missing; even his broken compass was still there. The large med kit had opened and some medicines and anesthetics were lying around in the bag. One had spilled, but Scott wasn't overly concerned. The food items were still there as was the dehydration fighting drink. A sip of that would not really quench his thirst too well, but it would keep him away from dehydration and give him a boost of energy. On that he could survive a week in a desert without too great difficulty. He strapped the backpack on his back. He took a last look through the debris. The best part about the backpack was also the fact that his armor was stored in it. He had all the protection he could need as well. Scott smiled as he began striding off into the surrounding desert. At least he couldn't be taken down by nature. He had overcome nature so far. The sea had beaten him down, but it had not killed him and he counted that as a plus in his book. Now it was time to brave the desert. Scott had never met an enemy he could not defeat and he wasn't about to be beaten yet.  
  
A few hours later Scott wasn't feeling so upbeat. The long trek in the heat had sapped his energy by a lot and he wasn't as un-injured as he believed. His ankle had been twisted badly, and he hadn't felt it till he walked on uneven ground. Now it was beating at his speed, making him slower, and taking part of his energy in overcoming the pain. At this rate he wouldn't last half a week. As he sat rubbing his ankle he wished for the tenth time in the last three hours, that Cece was there, so he could go to her and take a nice dip in the de-tox tank. However Scott was not given to fancies and he stood up after a little while determined to press on. He had no idea where he was going; only that he was going in a fairly straight line. He knew he was probably on an island; the northwest beaches of the Mediterranean were not deserts. Neither was the northeast. And it was impossible for the storm to have carried him all the way to the southern beaches of the Mediterranean. If he was lucky, the island wasn't too large and he could traverse it in a few days. Unless it was an island that was very longitudinal in nature. In which case he could be very wrong. He shrugged off his worries. No point in wasting time sitting here. He would accomplish nothing moping around here.  
  
Scott stumbled forward, pressing on determinedly. He would not give up. It had been almost twenty hours since he had woken up after crashing onto the shore, and he was now tired, apart from freezing. The desert grew very cool at night, and Scott had not enough protection to cover himself properly. He had ignored the cold so far though. He would do so for as long as necessary. Stumbling over a stick in the sand he dropped to his knees. God, he was tired. His limbs were on fire and he couldn't think very well. Only the need to press on had kept him going, but he was now too tired and worn out to even consider going ahead. He sank backwards till his head touched the cool sand. He lay down and closed his eyes to go to sleep.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Sammael walked into his rooms. The dark décor immediately set him at ease. The first room seen upon entering was a sunken room, with a dark blue carpet, and dark blue hangings on the walls. The large seats were plush black leather, and a large, low, black table stood in the center of the chairs. Two hallways led off from the room, one straight ahead upon entering, the other to the right. Sammael walked into the one leading to the right and went in. The walls of this room were black as well, and lamps spaced out at regular intervals gave the hall some lighting. Sammael walked onwards, his usual appreciation of the subtle effect of his rooms lighting on the paintings hanging from the walls not in evidence as he walked into his bedroom, still lost in thought. Sammael was concerned about Sinister and his plan. That it was a good plan was not the reason Sammael was worried. It was a good plan. It was instead the fact that Sinister had bothered to share it with them. Oh it would have been necessary to involve the other External's, that was certain, but Sinister would not have needed to tell them the whole plot for it to work successfully. No, Sammael had not lived for so long without being as suspicious as was possible. In fact he knew that many of his fellow External's thought him more than a little insane. He was very sane though, and his mind worked as well as it ever had. Sammael knew what Sinister was like. Sinister had always been a devious individual, playing all the hands against the middle, in the hopes that once the dust settled, he would emerge victorious. Sammael knew Sinister was planning something, but he wasn't sure what it was. Sammael smiled. He would let Sinister believe that the Renegade External's sidetracked him. Then when Sinister chose to strike at him Sammael would be ready, and his counterstroke would leave Sinister dead.  
  
Sinister stood in front of the monitor, watching carefully the reading being given. Candra sat in a chair watching him. It was only a short while ago that Sinister had gone to his laboratory. He had begun to work on something, the likes of which Candra didn't understand too well. Biology and Chemistry had never been her forte. She had come with Sinister on a pretext, to retrieve an item she had dropped there during the fight against the rebels. She knew that Sinister knew she was lying, but he didn't say anything. Even when she supposedly couldn't find it in his lab and had decided she must have dropped it elsewhere he hadn't batted an eyelid. She only stuck around him because he was her only connection to the Cajun empath. She didn't know why Sinister was so concerned with the Cajun, but then again she herself had no idea why she was so obsessed with finding him as well. She needed to find the mutant and find out why she was stricken with the need to get him. At first she had thought it was revenge, that she wanted to pay him back for actually managing to use his empathic powers on her, when even Behamen had failed to accomplish that feat. But when she had finally seen him again she had realized that revenge was not what she wanted. She had no real wish to see him hurt, for all he was a rebel. No something about him drew her to him, and she would have to find out what it was, and if necessary destroy it. She had been lucky. Sinister had set wards around the area where they had to have come from in the first infiltration, when they had rescued Psylocke. The wards had a ten-mile radius, and it had picked up on Gambit's mutant signature while they had been in the lab. Sinister now was confirming Gambit's position through the radar. Candra waited for success. She too would follow, and try and get to Gambit first. She didn't know what Sinister wanted with him, but knowing what she did know about the External, it would be anything far from good.  
  
Exodus roamed his private gardens, watching with half a mind on what his personal gardeners were doing. His garden was one of his pride and joys. Only the External's had ever been here, apart from Apocalypse and Helena. It was a massive project when it had started some ten years ago, and was now complete, with massive oaks in one end, and smaller willows on the other, with rows of delicately cut bushes crisscrossing the grass between them, flower bed's running on either side. There were benches laid out at interval's and a pool stood in the middle of it all, with a fountain rising out of it. Bougainvillea ran up and down the walls of the massive room and in one corner steps led to a small room which had a cast iron grille instead of walls. A two-seater swing sat in the middle of it. Exodus enjoyed life's pleasures, and in his long life he had never found anything to really match the solitude and peace of a garden. Exodus picked out a rose from one of the bushes and inhaled the scent. He thought that his life was like a rose bush sometimes; very nice to look at but once felt it turned out to have thorns. In this instance the thorns in his side were the rebels, especially that traitor Helena, as well as his fellow External's, not to mention Apocalypse and the renegade External's. The rebels were his most pressing problem. For his defeat he would crush them, as though they were the insignificant roses that he held in his hand. His hand squeezed once, quickly and the tattered remains of the roses crumbled from his fist, the needles snapped into mere shards.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Remy walked through the streets, his mind on his destination. It had only been a week since he had last been here, but a lot had happened in that week. He had taken part in an assault on the Tower, and had met the mutant who had haunted his dreams since Belladonna's death. The mutant who had murdered Bella. Without his noticing his eyes narrowed into slits, and his fists clenched and began to burn. He walked onward, oblivious of his gloves beginning to smolder. He only noticed when he smelled smoke. Looking down at his hands he yelped and took off his gloves, throwing them aside.  
  
* Damn it. Those were my favorite gloves. Better watch what I'm doing. *  
  
He walked up to the wall that was a door to Belladonna's grotto. Pushing the fake brick inwards, he waited for the door to open. As it opened he walked through. He walked straight to the other hidden door and opened it. He walked into that door and headed straight for the grave. He stared down at the grave and then looked up at the angelic being. It had been a statue that had been in his own room in the thieves guild, one his pater had given to him as protection against the night. Remy had been surprised to find it whole. He had searched that whole night, but no bodies had been found. In the end he had given up, returning with only Belladonna's body, and burying it in the room which was now a beautiful garden. He turned his attention to the grave. He sank to the floor and muttered a short prayer, one of the few he had bothered to learn. He looked at the grave again.  
  
"Well Bella, I know it's been a short time since Remy came 'ere last. Lot appened dis last week. For one, one o' dose External's finally bit de dust. Blew up 'alf of de Tower in de process. Nother t'ing happened though. I met dat Sonofabitch who killed you. I told you all dose years ago I'd get revenge, and well, I'm in de position to do it. De t'ing is I got other responsibilities now. I gotta team dat counts on me to be dere for 'em. I'm sorry Bella girl, but I can't jes go off an kill de bastard. I'd probably die in de process. Don't worry though, dis Cajun ain't done wid dat bastard Sinister. One day I'll get him in de position I wan'. Dat's when Mr. Sinister gonna go t' hell. I promise you dat Bella."  
  
He rose and walked towards the pool. He sank down next to it and ran his hands through his long auburn hair. He sighed.  
  
"Truth is Bella; my life's real screwy right now. All de ladies who Remy likes most not be too happy wid him at de moment. Making life pretty much hell. Even Stormy's on my ass. An' I never thought I'd see de day dat Wanda accepted Rogue as a stepmama. Life's a bitch, dat's for damn sure."  
  
He was silent a moment deep in thought.  
  
"You know Bella, I tol' you b'fore how I thought dat Roguey was de only girl for me. Now Remy be thinking dat's not true. Rogue, she's happy with Erik. Who am I t' ruin dat for her. Not too many people find happiness here. De only t'ing is every time I look at her my heart leaps. I don' know Bella, I just don't know what t' do! Don' let it get out though. Remy don't want his reputation being spoiled." The last said with a rakish grin.  
  
He stood up and walked to her grave again. Before he could say another word though, a small alarm went off. Someone had entered the grotto. Remy walked out of the hidden room, staff in hand, ready for an attack.  
  
"Ah, there you are, I was wondering where you were. Never expected another door, very ingenious."  
  
Remy's eyes went wide and he snarled. "Sinister!"  
  
Sinister walked towards him calmly, a slightly mocking smile on his face.  
  
"No need to make it sound so insulting Lebeau."  
  
"I'll kill you, you Sonofabitch." Remy whipped out a card and set it aflame, "coming here is de last t'ing you'll ever do."  
  
He flung the card towards him. Sinister raised his hand and a thin beam of energy arced out of his hand, hitting the card, which exploded. Remy ducked his eyes from the blast. Not waiting for Sinister to make a move, he leapt in the air, another card already charged and ready to throw.  
  
"My Sinister, did you know that the room he came from is where that assassin girl you killed is buried."  
  
Remy held his throw at the last moment and turned around, throwing the card in that direction instead. Candra barely had time to duck and the card smashed into the wall behind her. Remy was now seriously angry. Not only had they broke into Belladonna's grotto, but they were desecrating it by making him fight here.  
  
A flash of pain in his back reminded him that Sinister was still behind him. He stumbled forward in pain, and Candra pivoted on her heel and her kick caught him on the chin, sending him flying back. As he fell to the ground he could make out Sinister coming towards him. Then another flash of pain struck him and darkness took him.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
The sound of gunfire shattered the silence of the night. Scott rose and saw a house burning in the distance. He could hear screams from the house. Children were screaming and a woman was crying out in grief. Scott increased his speed and smashed through the door of the house. A woman was cowering away from the other side of the house which was burning. Two children were seated by a hallway, crying. A body slammed into the wall next to him. Scott looked at it and suddenly his face blanched. The face of the figure was one he would never forget. It was his father. He suddenly recognized the children, they were he and Alex, and that meant the woman was his mother. He stepped back, his mind reeling with shock. A dark figure began to walk out of the smoke, laughing harshly. The woman- his mother- screamed and turned to him, in agony, her face pleading for help. Before he could do anything she was pulled back into the fire and he heard a scream of pain. Then the rotten smell of burning skin permeated his nose. Scott bent forward in pain. Then suddenly a woman was next to him. It was Jean. Jean? What was Jean doing here? Before Scott could understand what was happening, Jean had grabbed the children and was running away. Before he could do anything a dark figure leaped out of the shadows and grabbed Jean. Dark Beast howled in triumph as he began dragging Jean backwards. "NO!" Scott yelled in anger and raised his visor. Nothing happened. Scott raised his gauntlets but there were only pale hands looking back at him. Scott tore off the visor, but found he could see natural colors.  
  
Scott lunged forward, but Dark Beast whipped out a gun from somewhere, and pointed it at Jeans head. Before Scott could reach him, Dark Beast pulled the trigger. Jeans crumpled body fell to the floor, her hair cascading over the remains of her head, the blood soaking red tresses a darker red. Scott screamed in pain, and sank to his knees. Dark Beast stood laughing to the side. Then he disappeared, and only a dark man stood there, a tall man, dressed in black.  
  
"Your mind is troubled; you have woken even me from sleep. Awaken!"  
  
Scott's eyes flashed open. He got up breathing haggardly in the chill night air. Scott looked around. There was no body of Jean, no burning house, no Dark Beast and no man in black. He checked his watch. It was just past four a.m. He got up and shrugged on the med-kit/ backpack. He stretched his body, and jerked his limbs around to loosen them from stiffness. It was funny, he thought, he had never had dreams like this before, however it was now two nights in a row that he had had dreams of his parents. It was not the first time he had dreamed of something happening to Jean. The woman had not been out of his dreams since he had met her for the first time, face to face. The man in black worried him though. He had never appeared in his dreams so far. Scott wondered who he was. Was he part of the dream, or was he something else? Scott walked on, keeping his eye on where he walked; yet half his mind was puzzling over the strange dream.  
  
Eventually Scott came across signs of life. In rising incredulity Scott looked at the half-buried wrapper of a popular candy bar. Not only was it a sign of civilization, but also a sign that whoever was on this desert island had access to the rest of the world. Scott staggered onwards; on this last trek he had walked nearly five hours. Presently Scott came across vegetation, about a two-minute walk from the candy bar wrapper. Soon he could hear the sounds of the sea again. Presently he came across a small dune. When he reached the top, he saw that at the bottom of the dune- or rather hill; the other side was a cliff like slope, with a crudely fashioned staircase leading downward- sat a small villa, nestled in the side of the large cliff face, with a road leading down to - wonder of all wonders - a small village. Scott smiled. He had finally lucked out.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Apocalypse sat in his lair; the monitor bank in front of him was blank. His expression was brooding. It had only been a couple of days since his horsemen had set off into the world, and he had yet to receive reports from them. They were to work on their own initiative, but with the goal of his supremacy. That they would be loyal to him was not something that could be called into question. He had made no mistake with these specimens. They were all bound to his will as firmly as any form of total mind control could do, without the loss of the subjects own qualities. Apocalypse had created mutants before, or had made mutants into something beyond what they were. In the fifteen years of war against Xavier, he had had to release two of his creations, as well as create two newer, more hurried ones. However he had managed to turn three of Xavier's own number into pseudo-horsemen. They had not been too effective, and one of them had even managed to fight off his control. Another had died, but Apocalypse had tightened his control over the last remaining one, finally being forced to clone him, and destroying the original. The clone had been sadistic and twisted, more macabre than Apocalypse's expectations. The clone was also tied to Apocalypse, as firmly as his horsemen were, and his life was dependant on Apocalypse's. The Dark Beast had been suitably named in Apocalypse's opinion. His work was far better than the original Beast's for the original had had an inherent nature that Apocalypse could not have changed, not with the limited technology he possessed. That inherent nature caused Beast to not go beyond a certain point in experimentation and interrogation. Apocalypse had dealt with that problem in the cloning process.  
  
"Master."  
  
The single word spoken with soft reverence roused Apocalypse from his reverie. Apocalypse looked upon the visage of his horseman of Death. The two glowing eyes were all that could be seen within the depths of the hood, and the rest of the horseman's body was covered in black cloth. The way the horseman spoke was sure to strike fear into the hearts of mortal's, Apocalypse was pleased with that effect. Death was a name that suited the horseman to perfection.  
  
"Report, horseman. I have not had word for two days now and was irritated by the silence."  
  
Deaths' eyes flashed, "Forgive my lord, but I was delayed through necessity. I have managed to inveigle myself in the presence of men, and shall set up my base of command over here. The new mutations and powers you have granted us have been of considerable help in that process."  
  
Death's face changed then, becoming blurred, then the hood was thrown back, and seemed to disappear into thin air, as features began to show. Once the change was complete, Apocalypse stared at the new face of Death.  
  
"Using this appearance I have managed to achieve a position of considerable power. These mere mortal men are pathetic. I shall have that which you desire in a matter of weeks master."  
  
Apocalypse began to smile, then after dismissing Death, and turning off the monitor he began to laugh. It was really quite amusing.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Scott turned and stood in front of the villa. It looked deserted. From behind him he heard the sound of voices. Young voices. He turned and saw a group of teenagers walking up the road towards the villa.  
  
"Chiklet man, this is total bullshit. I mean, why the hell are we going to this goddamn villa?"  
  
One of them, a gangly boy with long blonde hair that fell to his shoulders and a hooked nose replied exasperatedly, "Because there's no where else to go to have fun, dumbass."  
  
Another one, a short dark boy, with short spiky brown hair wearing blue tinted glasses laughed sneeringly, "Fun. HA! Like setting firecrackers on a haunted house is going to do anything."  
  
The first boy to speak, Baboon, was also short and stocky as well. He also wore glasses, and had long black hair slicked back into a ponytail. He shrugged and began to brood again. The fourth member of their group, a tall thin boy, with neatly groomed light brown hair and a small goatee just grinned at them.  
  
Scott stepped aside and hid behind a rock. The group didn't look as though they would appreciate being found, and Scott also wanted to see how young people behaved. In his youth he had been expected to train, and train hard, to become a Prelate one day. These adolescents seemed very carefree. They all wore baggy, low slung pants and dark colored shirts or sweatshirts. Scott watched as they walked up to the villa and surveyed it, watching for any possible entrance. Scott saw Chiklet take out a cigarette and light it. He saw the short boy with blue tinted glasses, whose name was apparently Neeb-Dog, frown at him. Chiklet began blowing smoke rings on the face of Neeb-Dog, which caused Neeb-Dog to slap him. Baboon and the tall boy, whose name Scott had yet to learn- they just called him. 'Him', stood a little away and laughed at the other two. Suddenly Chiklet stopped his antics and turned and looked towards where Scott was hiding.  
  
"What the hell. someone's there." Scott blinked in shock. There was no way Chiklet could have seen him! He came out from his hiding place and looked at them, but before he could speak Baboon yelled, "Get the motherfucker!" Suddenly Him was right next to him, and the others were running towards him. Scott was now doubly shocked. These were all mutants?  
  
"Hey wait, I'm also a mutant." He pointed towards his visor, "See, I got shipwrecked on the other side of this island, and walked here. I won't bother you, just can you direct me around town?"  
  
The teenagers looked at him strangely.  
  
"Look, I won't tell anybody about your plans, I just need to get something to eat, and find out how to get off the island."  
  
Finally Chiklet spoke.  
  
"I don't know what you mean by mutants, but we'll take you to the village. However, there's no need for you to bother trying to find a way off the island. There's no way off."  
  
Scott looked at him in surprise. What did he mean no way off the island?  
  
"What do you mean no way off the island? Surely there must be some way you leave the island?"  
  
The four boys looked at him with faint smiles on their faces. It was obvious they had a low opinion of him already. Apparently not knowing about there being no way off the island was the height of stupidity.  
  
"By no way off we mean, that no one will take you off the island. This is a well-guarded secret. We have lived here for a long time, hiding from Apocalypse. Come, we'll take you to the village council."  
  
Scott followed the boys, his mind working. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice that the villa's curtains drew slightly apart.  
  
A man dressed in black looked down at the retreating figures of the boys and Scott Summers. His thin lips curved into a smile. All was going to plan.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Logan stood staring at the balls. He leaned on his cue and stared at them carefully. The angling needed to be just. so. He chewed on the end of his cigar. Leaning forward he positioned the cue carefully. After completing the shot he walked around the table looking for the best shot to make. His olfactory senses detected the presence a split second before his keen sense of hearing made out the sound of footsteps above. He turned and looked as Jean walked down the stairs leading to the entertainment area. * Oh fucking great. *  
  
Jean looked at him surprised, then, "Hello Logan."  
  
He just grunted in reply and turned around and began staring at the table again. For the last few days he had been avoiding Jean as much as possible. After the assault he had barely spoken two words to her apart from when they were in council or in the Danger Room. Jean had tried to approach him a few times, but he had quickly managed to make some excuse and run off. He could almost sense her determination to talk to him now that they were finally alone, and he had no excuse to run off.  
  
"Logan, look at me." Logan's eyes widened, he hadn't expected her to be so blunt. He turned around. To not do so would have been cowardly, and that was what Logan had been doing for a long time now. He steeled himself for the conversation that was sure to follow.  
  
"Logan, you have to stop running. We have to talk, and you know it." She stood there then, with her arms crossed in front of her.  
  
Logan nearly smiled; she looked cute standing there, for all that she was angry, and an angry redhead to boot.  
  
"It's your call Red."  
  
She looked relieved and Logan realized she had been dreading having to force him to stay. This time he grinned openly. Jean looked at him in annoyance, then took a deep breath. Logan's grin slipped. It was time.  
  
"Logan, I know you have feelings for me. and I still care for you, deeply.. But.. Well I love Scott. I've loved him since I first met him, all those years ago. He was the boy who I met, and who shaped my life into joining the X-men. I'll always cherish the time we spent together, but I can't help my feelings for Scott. I love him more deeply than I could imagine anybody could ever love someone. I'm sorry it had to end so abruptly, but it's over."  
  
Logan looked at her.  
  
"Jean, the first time I saw you, I was struck by your beauty and your fragile air. I wanted to make you whole, and even though I managed to make you feel again, and not remain so bitter, you were never complete with me. Something was missing, and I think you've found it. I love you Jean, and I always will I guess, but I know that Scott is the man fer you. The way you feel when he's around, you never felt that way with me. Jest remember Jeannie, I'll always be here for you."  
  
Jean stared at him with tears in her eyes, then jumped forward and hugged him tightly.  
  
"I'll always be your friend Logan."  
  
She let go of him and turned and walked up the stairs and out of the room.  
  
Logan stood there staring at the stairway. * Yeah Jeannie, I'll always be yer friend, God knows I want ta be more, but a man knows when he's beaten and Scott is the man you'll always love. * Logan turned and continued to stare at the pool table, however his mind was far in the past and his time with Jean and other past loves. He had survived pain before, and he could do it again. In his hundred odd years he had known and loved many women, but only a small handful had ever caused him to fall utterly in love. He silently added Jean's name to the handful of his lost loves. Many he had outlived, one had run away from him and the latest had left him for another. Logan smiled bitterly; fate had just dealt him another hand that he would have to deal with.  
  
=====================================================  
  
Well. It's almost finished. Just the last two chapter left to finish, and then A Lid will Beta them.  
  
Next chapters not going to have too much action, but it'll explain the history of this version of AoA, or A/U to the actual universe, or whatever it is I'm writing. Basically It'll have the back story of how Apocalypse took control etc. Keep reading, keep reviewing, keep enjoying, and always remember. Life should be enjoyed. It only happens once (dependant on your belief of course.). 


	4. Reminiscing

As promised here is the chapter. This one is all about the past, so don't expect the story to develop too much. Plus, it's through the eyes of two secondary characters, who play quite an important role in the past anyway.  
  
*~*  
  
Reminiscing  
  
Sammael sat in his chambers. His mind went over what he needed to do. His most pressing concern was to deal with the last remnants of the Renegade Externals. There were only a few of them left. Asmodeus, the one who had managed to get them all together. Sammael had always disliked him. He had been Shaman's protégé. Sammael had hated Shaman. Shaman was the one who had banded together the resistance against Apocalypse from the beginning. With Apocalypse's superior power it had been futile. Asmodeus had been part of the same club that many mutants belonged to. The Hellfire club. Sammael remembered it well. He had himself been part of that club, along with his half brother. Halfbane was one External that Sammael had been pleased had fallen before the battle between the Hellfire Club and Apocalypse. His power had matched Sammael's and it might have turned the tide of the battle. It had only been in the aftermath of that battle that Xavier had appeared. In the end of the battle, only Asmodeus, Behamen, Galaire, Gilgamesh and Astaroth had remained. Behamen had been the empath. A dangerous External, only Candra had been truly able to overcome the power of the empath, due to her ability of dampening mutant powers. Apart from Apocalypse. Sammael had himself fallen prey to it, and if not for Candra he would have been lost. Somehow she had also achieved the ability to fly and usage of some psi-energies, the latter probably due to her being a telepath of sorts. It was fairly common amongst Externals to have multiple mutations. He himself had multiple mutations. Galaire was also fairly dangerous. She had amazingly honed control over water, apart from her invulnerability. She had destroyed a whole garrison of soldiers and mutants, nearly two thousand of them, single handedly. Astaroth had been one of Sammael's closest friends, if that word could be applied to any of Sammael's acquaintances. He had unfortunately chosen the wrong side in the battle. Sammael wanted to have the pleasure of killing him himself. Gilgamesh had always worried Sammael. In an area of complete darkness or shadow, he could move from one point to another almost instantaneously. He had complete command of the shadows. He was very long lived. Sammael had first heard of him one thousand years ago, and he had lived for quite a while before that. He could be nearly as old as he himself was. Perhaps older, but that was unlikely.  
  
He could remember well the day he had first entered the Hellfire Club just over fifteen years ago.  
  
He had walked into the newly established club arrogantly. The receptionist had given him an appointment with Sebastian Hiram Shaw. Shaw had been young then, in his late twenties and already possessed enough arrogance for ten men. He was not an External, but was a powerful mutant nonetheless. Attacking him was futile as it only increased his strength. He could convert kinetic energy into energy for himself. A dangerous mutant to be sure. He was the Black King of the Hellfire Club, one of the four most powerful members of the organization. Shaw knew who he was, and he had been pleased to have him as a member of the Club. He had refused any titles. It was there that he had met many of his External Brethren. Sammael had met Sinister there, the White King, and Selene the Black Queen. Both were External's, as well as Exodus the Black Knight, and Astaroth, the Black Rook. Candra had formed her own allegiances at the time, with the Thieves Guild, becoming their Benefactress, though she frequented the Club. Archanfel and Asmodeus had been the two White Bishops. Gilgamesh had been the Black Bishop. Behamen and Galaire had been the Black Bishop and the White Knight, respectively. Shaman had avoided contact with the Hellfire Club, although he knew many of the members. The other Knights had been normal mutants. However both the White Rooks had been Externals, Saul and Necodemus. The Hellfire Club had turned out to be an External stronghold.  
  
It had been that fool Shaw's plan to go up against Apocalypse. One of the members, some mutant whose name Sammael couldn't recall had found a map that led to Apocalypse's pyramid chamber. Previously only Sinister had known the location. Shaw had come up with the fool notion of killing the Immortal Warlord, so as to ensure that only the Hellfire Club had dominance over earth. Sinister had immediately protested against the plan. He had told them that it would be madness, and that Apocalypse had powers that could not be matched yet. The other fools had scoffed at him. Sammael had remained quiet on the matter. However Halfbane had earlier begun making plans with Shaman, before his death, and Shaman had managed to convince the rest of the club to fight against Apocalypse. They had mounted an attack, however Sammael had previously learned the futility of fighting Apocalypse. He had told Apocalypse of the impending assault. Apocalypse had once again shocked Sammael when he revealed that he knew of the attack from before. He had already summoned Sinister to him, before Sammael had gone to him. Sinister had brought along Exodus, or rather Exodus had followed him Sammael found out later. Archanfel had also come later, once they were gone. It was later he learned that Candra had been the one who had first told him of the impending assault, and even then he had known about it. Apparently his spies had done their work. Apocalypse had wanted details from each of them though, and he had been pleased. He had told them that he would now have to hurry along matters, but he would have soon dealt with the Hellfire Club anyway. Even back then Apocalypse had not told them who the other's that helped him were. Therefore Sammael had not known that Sinister, Exodus, Archanfel and Candra also helped Apocalypse.  
  
The next day Sammael went to the Hellfire Club and took out the bioorganic signature monitors, killing the security teams in charge. Apocalypse had struck then. He had simply walked into the club and taken apart it's security. He had single-handedly killed the other Black Rook the mutant Crule, and the two White Rooks Saul and Necodemus. Selene had also fallen to him. Exodus had taken care of the young White Queen Emma Frost, and Sinister had taken down the White Knight Harry Leland, who it turned out survived to join Apocalypse. Sammael had fought with Archanfel against Asmodeus, Astaroth and Behamen. Sammael had nearly lost to the other three, especially when Galaire joined in. Sammael had just barely managed to escape. The Hellfire Club had not fallen in the first attack, and Sammael, Sinister, Exodus and Archanfel had been sent running. Candra had laughed at them then. Apocalypse had not been pleased. He had returned to Egypt in the middle of the battle to kill Shaman who had used Apocalypse's being gone as a sign to attack his pyramid. The only thing that Sammael knew about what had happened was that Apocalypse had been very annoyed after his fight with Shaman.  
  
He had wanted the Hellfire Club destroyed. He had then brought in the reinforcements.  
  
Apocalypse's son Nemesis, Mikhail Rasputin and two horsemen, Abyss and Pestilence. And the Reavers. Sammael to this day did not know what had become of them, or how Apocalypse had got them in the first place. As far as he knew they still protected the Sea Wall. Pierce and his cohorts had made short work of all of the Hellfire Clubs forces, leaving only the mutants and External's of the Inner Council standing. The battle had waged across the whole of New York, shattering buildings to a pulp, killing hundreds of thousands. The United States Army had reacted, but even it was no match for the Reavers, and the rest of Apocalypse's forces. Even though the Reavers had in the end been left with only half of their original force, the U.S army had been completely and utterly crushed. Apocalypse had then done something which Sammael still found amazing. He had grown to a huge size, over fifty feet tall. The Hellfire Club had frozen with terror, and then Apocalypse casually picked up another building and smashed it down onto the Club.  
  
Once the dust had cleared Apocalypse was his normal size, and the Hellfire Club lay broken before him. The rubble had shifted and Selene, Black Queen of the Club had pushed her way out, only to be confronted by them. Apocalypse had toyed with her, letting her use her powers against him, finally killing her using only his strength and his fists, no bursts of energy and no changing shape. Selene had launched all of her attacks onto him, using all her arcane powers to try and kill the Immortal Warlord. Nothing had worked and in the end, Selene had lain on the ruins of the Club, her life force ebbing away, until nothing had remained of the External but a broken husk. The only casualty on Apocalypse's side had been his two horsemen, Abyss and Pestilence. Both had been killed. Nemesis had been hurt grievously, and only Sinister had managed to contain his life force in an armored shell, using Apocalypse's vast resources of Celestial and alien technology. Nemesis had changed his name to Holocaust after that. Holocaust, Mikhail and what was left of the Reavers had launched an attack on other continents, while Apocalypse and the External's who had joined him had systematically taken over The America's along with his two horsemen, Death and Sarek. The human's had resisted, but finally Apocalypse had driven them into northern Asia and what was left of Europe. Australia and Japan had been reduced to nothing but barren waste, while France had been wiped off the map. Only a small portion of the top of the Eiffel Tower could be seen sticking out of the sea that had taken France's place. It was then that Xavier and his X-men had shown themselves. After many battles one of their bases had been found. Apocalypse had destroyed the whole mountain on which the X-men had had their headquarters and training centre. The last remnants of the Hellfire Club had gone to them, and they attacked full force in retaliation. The Citadel, which rose over New York's shattered skyline, had fallen to the X-men and Human High Council. Apocalypse had been on the moon recovering from his injuries, leaving the insane Death to rule in his stead. Death had used Terrigen mists on all the humans he could find, converting them to what had been called the Inhumans. Sinister had not liked that, and had tried to stop Death. However Death's actions led to his undoing as the human High Council had become incensed and attacked them along with the X-men. Death had died in the attack, along with Sarek, the other horseman. Apocalypse had been more enraged than Sammael had ever seen him. He had called back Mikhail and Holocaust, and had assaulted the X-men, reducing their numbers by more than half. Xavier had not expected such an assault and he had retreated. The X-men had dispersed, and Apocalypse had then set his attention on the human remnant, and the High Council of humans. He had taken Sammael, Mikhail and Holocaust with him to Europe where he had fought against the High Councils forces. Sinister, Candra, Exodus and Archanfel had remained to find and destroy all allies of the X- men. Sinister and Candra had concentrated on the allies, while Exodus and Archanfel searched for the X-men. Sinister and Candra had destroyed all the Guilds of New Orleans, as well as S.H.I.E.L.D. Exodus and Archanfel had faced the X-men again with the Mutant Elite, and had defeated them. However Archanfel had battled Magneto and lost. Since then Archanfel had become obsessed with killing the mutant.  
  
The High Council of Human's had employed the Meta human Avenger's led by Captain America and Carol Danvers. Sammael had personally dispatched one of the most powerful, the Norse 'god' Thor. One of the members of the X-men, and an Avenger, Beast had been taken by Apocalypse to use as a Horseman. The Avengers had fallen one by one, until only Carol Danvers remained, and she had run away. However the battle had given the High Council time to escape. They had disappeared, leaving no clue as to where they might have gone. Apocalypse had been angry at that. He had left Holocaust and Mikhail with the Reavers to search them out and had returned with Sammael to the America's where he started work on the building of The Tower to replace the Citadel. The Tower had been constructed in what had been Louisiana. Then Apocalypse had begun what he called the Culling. Any human found was sent to either death camps or to Sinister and Beast to be converted into soldiers for Apocalypse. All mutants had been sent to Sinister and Beast to be neurally programmed to serve Apocalypse. At about this time Beast had rebelled and Apocalypse had put him down. A year later another Beast appeared, a dark version of the original, who obeyed only Apocalypse. Even Sinister had found him sadistic in his methods. Around that time Sinister and Archanfel also procured their 'children'. Cecilia Reyes had been employed at around this time as well.  
  
Then the Sentinels had appeared. They had been programmed to attack any and all mutants. The Sentinels had proven to be extremely efficient and Apocalypse had had to once again take a personal hand. The sentinels attacking The Tower had been destroyed by Apocalypse who had grown to a size to match theirs. Holocaust and Mikhail had been instructed to find the origin of the sentinels and destroy it. A month later Mikhail and Holocaust reported success. Muir Isle, off the northern coast of Scotland had been where the mutant hunters were coming from. Holocaust and Mikhail had reduced it to ashes. The creator of the wretched things had been killed with the island, however his widow Moira Mctaggert had escaped. As of yet, nothing had been found of her. Holocaust and Mikhail had returned to Sea Wall, with orders to hunt down and kill any remaining human High council members.  
  
Apocalypse had then largely left them Externals to fight against the X-men. It had only been until Cyclops had become the high Prelate that any headway had been made. The mutant was a brilliant strategist, hunting down the X- men like dogs, and destroying their second headquarters. Sinister's protégé had done so well that Apocalypse himself had deigned to meet him. In fact Apocalypse had been so impressed he had literally promised Cyclops a position in the highest order, equal to that of the Externals and Holocaust and Mikhail. Sammael had then truly begun paying attention to the mutant. In the short space of a few months after the destruction of their headquarters, Cyclops had managed to hunt down and kill Xavier. That had guaranteed his promotion, and Apocalypse had been set to promote him to an equal to the Externals. It was then that the X-men had broken in and rescued Psylocke. The promotion had been delayed, but then Cyclops had turned, and everything had gone to hell. In the events that followed Archanfel had died, The Tower had been partially broken and another Prelate had turned. Furthermore the renegade Externals had come out from wherever they had been hiding.  
  
Now with the advent of the Horsemen, Apocalypse had again begun taking a personal hand in events. Sammael also knew that when it was all over only one or two of them, the External's, would still be alive. Sammael intended to make sure he was one of those that lived.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Apocalypse stood in front of the monitor bank in his private chambers. He had just relayed a message to Exodus, informing his External that he would be gone for a few hours. His orders were clear. Exodus was to maintain security, and in the event of a crisis or one of his horsemen calling in, Exodus was to immediately inform him. Apocalypse had left events on the other side of the world idle long enough. He grimaced slightly. Holocaust and Rasputin had barely reported to him what they had found for nearly a year. That meant that they were being insubordinate, and he could not afford to let anyone show that he was weak in any area, otherwise all of his subordinates would be at his throat in a flash. He knew of Sinister's plans to create the perfect weapon, of Candra's desire to be amused, of Exodus's plans to take his place through subterfuge, and slow telepathic control, and of course Sammael's desire to be the last remaining immortal mutant. Sammael wanted to be rid of any and all things that were a threat to him. The mutant had no concept of the importance of competition and personal gain through pain. Apocalypse had also felt the glimmerings of the rise of an unexpected opponent. Certain events had his mark on them. Shaman, now his servant had informed him. Shaman had the one who knew Halfbane best. Apocalypse would be glad to see them go head to head. The victor of that battle would be his horseman.  
  
Apocalypse touched the ring like indentation on his belt. Immediately he felt his body tremble and his senses vanish, as each molecule was displaced to a different place. When he regained control of himself a moment later he stood in a different place. This was the largest Sea Wall of twelve such constructs, positioned around the America's in order to guard his main boundaries. This was also the controlling Sea Wall, it was furthest away from all the others, positioned near the southwestern tip of Africa. Apocalypse stepped out of the stall. He had apparently teleported into a bathroom. Upon stepping out he saw a guard looking at him in terror. The guard shrank back against the wall and his jaw dropped open and he began to tremble in fright. As much as it flattered his ego that the mere presence of him could elicit such a response, Apocalypse was not pleased. His guards would have to be stronger than that, a hardier group. * To cull the strong from the weak, that is my duty. * Apocalypse thought grimly as he smashed the guards head into the wall. Apocalypse stepped out of the bathroom and began walking down the halls, heedless now of the stares he was receiving, and as the guards began to bow and scrape, he thought to himself, * The guards have become too slack, too weak. I shall have to replace them all if they cannot be made stronger. *  
  
Apocalypse headed straight for the control room, the place where all the Sea Walls were controlled. He knew at least one of his two deputies in the place would be there. If not someone of position would be there. Suddenly he ran into a team of guards and mutants standing guard around the area leading to the elevator. They had arranged themselves to ambush him. Apocalypse smiled, so they were not as useless as he thought. In fact with the speed and efficiency they had come here showed that they had devised a method of alarm unknown to any outsider.  
  
"Stand down guards or whatever else you are. I am Apocalypse." He had walked forward into the middle of where the ambush would have taken place. A few guards materialized out of thin air; apparently they had managed to acquire invisibility equipment. Interesting. Apocalypse stepped forward to the elevator. The guards all dispersed. Through the bioorganic sensors that he had equipped himself with Apocalypse sensed that telepathy was taking place. He determined it's source and extending his hand grabbed one of the male guards walking away. He pulled the guard towards him and spoke to him, slowly employing greater pressure on the guard's neck.  
  
"You will never use any mutant power in front of me without my being told of it."  
  
The guard nodded weakly and Apocalypse let him go, the guard gasping for breath where he lay. Apocalypse entered the elevator. * I should have killed that guard for his actions. Now whoever is in the control room knows exactly when I am coming. *  
  
The elevator door opened and Apocalypse went forward and through another set of doors, a set that would never open for any one other than him, without requiring a thorough scan. Upon entering he stopped, mildly surprised. He had expected at least one of them to be here, instead he found himself staring at two occupants who he did not know.  
  
One of them stood by the command consoles, looking at him. It was a woman, dressed in all black, with purple armor. She wore high purple colored boots, and had purple gauntlets on her arms. The armor had blade like protrusions on her elbows and knees, much like his horseman War, and a purple headpiece framed her face. Massive metallic-purple colored wings were attached to her back and gauntlets. Her skin was tanned golden-bronze, and long ebony hair fell to her waist. Her eyes were slitted at the corners, glowing white, and a black tattoo crossed over one eye. She immediately bowed upon seeing him. The other inhabitant was a man dressed in blood red, with darker red armor. He wore a glossy metallic-red mask over his face, with two small eye slits being the only tarnish on the smooth surface apart from two red horns sweeping from behind. Long brown hair tied in a ponytail hung down his back. As Apocalypse entered he also bowed down. They both knew who he was, which was hardly surprising, but they both also seemed to be of some authority, as they were inside the control room in the first place.  
  
"Who are you?" Apocalypse was not used to being surprised in places that he controlled.  
  
The woman answered, "We are two of four Prelates Great Lord, I am the arch- prelate Deathbird, and the other is Prelate Erik 'the red'."  
  
Apocalypse was slightly taken aback. He had never given permission to Rasputin or Holocaust to have Prelates. The Mutant Elite Force was something that Sinister had come up with in the early days of fighting the X-men and Human High Council. How was it possible that there were others here? Especially others he had never been told of? Apocalypse saved his questions for his two absent lieutenants. He would deal with those two when they returned. For now this 'Arch-Prelate' would do.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Emma Frost sat in her room. Ever since the attack on the Tower she had become depressed. Her meeting with Exodus had opened up old wounds which she had thought healed. She had never gotten over the deaths of so many of her friends. They had all been fools, she knew that now. All those years ago, they had not even comprehended the power that Apocalypse had wielded. Even when young her life had been shadowed by tragedy. Her youngest sister had died at an early age, and when her powers had manifested themselves when she was 14, her parents had thought she was going insane. She had been taken to a heavily guarded asylum, where she had been subjugated to the worst sort of imprisonment. She had rebelled against her being put in an asylum and the doctors and the guards had kept her in a straightjacket. Once she knew it was useless to resist she had stopped fighting, and the straightjacket had been removed after a week of it being put on her. Then had come the humiliations. The guards had ridiculed her, and she could hear their thoughts as nearly all of them thought lewd thoughts about her. Then they had started acting on those thoughts. Emma had been helpless, and she had not understood what was happening to her. It was after she had accidentally killed a guard that she understood that she could project her thoughts onto others. She had developed this skill to control a guard, with whom she escaped the asylum. Upon leaving the asylum she had killed the guard and set off into the world. She had been the daughter of a billionaire family and she barely knew how to survive. She used her mental powers to get by, duping cashiers in supermarkets and clothing stores into believing she had paid for the items she took. She had soon begun to attend parties of high-class people in New York, using her mental powers to make people believe she was an old friend, or someone they knew. It was there that she had met Harry Leland, a man whose thoughts revealed him to have powers. She wondered if there were others like her who had powers.  
  
She had used Leland to gain access to The Hellfire Club, where she had helped Sebastian Shaw, a friend of Leland's to take over the Club from it's owner. She had forced Ned to shoot the other council members of the Club. Then as Ned had pleaded with her and Shaw, she had made him shoot himself. She and Shaw had arisen as the Clubs new rulers, the Black King and the White Queen. Later on the club had grown, with Sinister coming in as the White King, and Selene coming in as the Black Queen. Little did they know that Sinister had been planted by Apocalypse to spy. However Emma knew Sinister well, he was no body's pawn. No Sinister had been working for his own betterment for a long time, and there was no reason to think he still did not do so. The Hellfire Club had grown under the Inner Circle's care. The coming of the External's had bothered Emma and Shaw, the Club seemed to have been systematically taken over by the immortal mutants. There were only a few normal lived mutants in the Inner Circle, and Emma and Shaw had been concerned. However all had changed when Shaw had grown increasingly obsessed with killing Apocalypse. Emma had been one of the few people to try to dissuade him, but Shaw had been insistent. Emma had been just eighteen at the time. However it seemed that Apocalypse had found out about their plans, and had instead attacked them first.  
  
During that time Emma had gotten close to one of their earlier members, Bennet Du Paris, also one of the Inner Circle, who held the title of the Black Knight. She had fallen for him fairly hard. He had been, to her, the perfect man. It had taken her a long time before she let anyone get close to her; she had kept all men, including Shaw, at a distance. Bennet Du Paris had broken through her barriers. He had been an External; she had known that, a man who had been born before the Crusades, being one of the knights who took part. He could have charmed the birds out of the trees. He had courted Emma, and she had begun to believe in happiness with a man. Until Apocalypse had struck. She and Exodus had planned to escape right in the beginning, when Apocalypse had first struck. Instead it had turned out that Exodus was working alongside Apocalypse. He had struck swiftly, and it was with all her strength that she had managed to push off his assault. She had been shocked and heartbroken when he told her he was using her to further his own ambition in taking out the rest of the Hellfire Club. She was to have been his accomplice, his pawn. He had begun to attack her again and Emma had known that she could not hope to defeat him on her own. She had used one of her mental tricks on him. She had allowed him to strike her with an energy blast, one that just glanced off her, yet still sent her sprawling and she nearly blacked out. As she fell she managed to create the impression that she had been hit badly and was dying. Using her mental powers she had managed to make him think she was dead. He had left and she had, after making sure he wasn't returning, escaped. When Apocalypse had finally struck in earnest, attacking the Hellfire Club for real, she had remained in the background and when Apocalypse had grown in size she had quickly run off, making her escape through sewer tunnels. Unlike Selene and Shaw she knew that it was better to live to fight another day. She had joined the human refugees exiting from northeast America. She had managed to make it to London where the Human High Council had based itself. She had told them all she could to help, everything she knew about Apocalypse's External's, and about Apocalypse himself. That had not really amounted to much, but the High Council had been pleased. Emma had then put herself through rigorous training and began to train other mutants to fight against Apocalypse. When a second Muir Isle had been established to be the training centre she had gone there with the remaining X-men, who had just been defeated in a battle. The X-men had established Muir Isle as their third headquarters, after the Xavier institute in Maine and Wundagore Mountain in the Slavic region. Moira Trask and Emma had run the Muir Isle 2 facility, Magneto had been in charge of Wundagore Mountain and Xavier had headed the group from his institute. Apocalypse had somehow found out about Wundagore Mountain and he had arrived there with his forces, literally smashing the base into rubble. Emma had been at the base that day and had witnessed first hand the terrible power of Apocalypse and his forces. Magneto and the X-men that survived had escaped; it would have been futile to even attempt to fight them. Apocalypse had gone to the moon to recover, and left his horseman Death in charge.  
  
He had begun to perform experiments on humans turning them into raving, cannibalistic killers. Emma had seen first hand some of the Inhumans and had been shocked and disgusted. The human High council had become angry at this and had built up another army very fast. Some of her old comrades from the Hellfire Club had appeared then; they had managed to rally up a big enough army to attack Apocalypse's Citadel. It had seemed suicidal to Emma at the time, but it had worked and The Citadel had fallen to the X-men and the Human High Council's forces which comprised of old f-series jets like the F-16's and F-15's as well as massive robots, the precursors to the Sentinels. Apocalypse had been taken unawares it seemed. He had retaliated in horrible fashion.  
  
His son Nemesis, now known as Holocaust, and Mikhail Rasputin had been called back from Eurasia, where they hunted the Human High Council with The Reavers. Apocalypse had increased his watch on all of them, the X-men, the Human High Council, and the efforts to find and destroy the different bases, London, Xavier's institute and the two Muir Isle's had been increased tenfold. They had continued their training and efforts to harass Apocalypse all they could. A couple of years later Cyclops had become the High Prelate, and in a matter of months he had found and taken out the Institute. That had been one of the most devastating blow the X-men had faced. Cyclops had chased them like rabbits, hunting them until he could crush them. Emma and Magneto had mounted a rescue operation and had managed to save them in the newly designed All terrain Jet, or Hybrid. Bolivar Trask, the creator of the Sentinels, and Moira's old husband had designed them just before his death. Emma had met most of the current team then, and had witnessed the break up of Gambit and Rogue firsthand. She had always liked the Cajun and had felt sorry for him. With Xavier at the Island now Emma had learnt a lot about telepathy, along with his other student Jean Grey. In many ways Emma had been stronger than Xavier, but as an overall Xavier was a much stronger and skilled telepath. With a telepath for a teacher instead of the human Moira, Emma had flourished, honing her powers to be most effective in a protracted battle. After nearly a month of idleness on the island, the X-men took off for what had been America. They had taken a new X-jet, for minimal detection by the Sea Wall. For a year they had caused damage to Apocalypse's death camps, quickly destroying each and freeing all the prisoners, before heading out to find and liberate another. Cyclops had noticed however, and had known how Xavier thought apparently, because for the last three death camps hit, Prelates and the Mutant Units had been waiting. Weapon X had lost his arm then to Cyclops. During that time, Gambit had come to the Island twice, each time with more members for his team, Roulette and others wanting to join the X-men. Emma had gotten to know the Cajun then, and had begun to warm to him. He had flirted with her incessantly. Emma owed a lot to him. He had helped her get past Exodus. She knew however that they could be no more than just friends, albeit with a romantic past. Roulette had headed for America as well; in the X-jet that Xavier had gifted them. The jet was one of four crafts that could get past the Sea Wall. After Cyclops had gotten wind of Xavier though, he had not let go, and had followed the X-men into what was left of Mexico.  
  
There Xavier had staged his last stand, and had fallen to Cyclops with the Mutant Elite Force. Emma had been as stunned as the rest of the mutant community at Muir Isle. Emma had slowly begun to think of Xavier as immortal, even though he was paralyzed below the waist and quite old. To find out that he was dead was the most distressing thing that had happened to her. However Magneto had taken over with great efficiency. He was an excellent leader. Emma was happy for him and Rogue. Their child would bring some happiness in their bitter and tension filled lives.  
  
Wanda had completely changed in her attitude towards Rogue, and though Emma and Rogue would probably never get along, Emma had also tried to be friendlier towards her.  
  
Emma smiled as she thought of Remy. He had been perplexed at the sight of Wanda beginning to like Rogue, and even more at a loss as to why Emma had refused his attentions. Compounded on that had been the fact that he had tried to flirt with three women simultaneously, one whose lover had just left, another whose two loves were dead, both in the last year, and the last who loved him as a brother, but had gotten exasperated with his attitude towards Rogue, who nearly everyone except he knew was having a baby. Emma wanted to find him. She needed a good laugh, and Remy was very able to provide that.  
  
===============================================  
  
So. Here it is. The history of this Age of Apocalypse. Well. it's not directly A/U to the original AoA. but hey, it is an age of Apocalypse, and uses much of its idea's to stay afloat. the Prelates etc. Anyway. Next chapter has a lot of story development, and the introduction of what was a key character in the original AoA. 


	5. the Wanderer

Okay, so It's a bit late. Sorry. Anyway, I've finished the second part (this part) and am going to begin writing the third soon. Plus I've begun work on three more X-men fanfics. So I might be a bit late with each successive upload.  
  
Hope you enjoyed a little bit of history and this world makes more sense now.  
  
*~*  
  
The Wanderer  
  
It was a dark alley as alleys go. Not much could be seen in it, apart from a large garbage can. A fire escape led up the side of the building. No children played on the streets outside. The mouth of the alley led to a street which was sloping upwards, as many streets had done in the city this had been. A lone figure traveled the once famous slopes. He was dressed in a simple robe made of some dark-blue cloth-like material. He was bald, with a tattoo running over his left eye, and over the gleaming black scalp. His eyes were white, and seemed to be dead. He had been walking like this for a long time now. He barely remembered anything, though a few things were still clear to him. His name was Bishop and he was once an X-man, the last in his true time. However Bishop couldn't travel to that time. His powers had dissipated quickly after. something that had happened. He couldn't remember what exactly had happened, but it was wrong whatever it was. He had been walking for as long as he could remember. His powers were nearly gone now, and it was only at times that he could discharge them, yet they were only effective in making things turn slightly warm. It was fairly pointless using them, so Bishop didn't bother using them. He had not spoken a word in nearly twenty years. He wondered sometimes whether he could still speak. He could hear distant swooping overhead. Some more of Apocalypse's watchdogs. He waved his fist threateningly at them and then laughed at the futility of his own action. In fact he found it so hilarious that he had to sit down for a few minutes laughing away. His eyes gleamed slightly and then faded away into being dull.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Sinister stood in front of Gambit's prone body. It had been fairly easy to take down the young mutant. Of course two Externals were more than powerful enough to handle a single mutant. Sinister smiled again. Gambit was not the only mutant that fascinated him. He looked over to a small beaker. Two small test tubes sat inside, both colored red. The reddish fluid contained DNA of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Sinister had studied them and had decided that they were the best matched to create a being of almost immeasurable power. It would take a week, and by then his 'pawn' would be ready. It was a bit hurried, but the celestial technology that Apocalypse had gifted him with would ensure that the mutant would grow up properly. A strong young mutant to help him overthrow Apocalypse. Sinister smiled chillingly into his goatee. He would also employ the young mutant to rid him of another annoyance. One that he would take great pleasure in killing. The mutant would kill his own father. Sinister grasped the beaker in his hand and walked towards the large chamber in the side of his laboratory. He placed the two tubes in the small hatch and pressed a button. The celestial apparatus hummed to life and the hatch closed. Sinister quickly operated the machine and then stood back. Through small monitors he could oversee the progress of his creation. Upon it's reaching of puberty he would set it free. He knew exactly where he would keep it, in the hands of one whose soul was forfeit. Within a few weeks it would be grown up enough to unleash his powers, and Sinister would then take over, teaching it. He smiled; he could almost taste the power that would come to him then.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Holocaust walked along the walkways as fast as he could without seeming like he was in a hurry. The mutant next to him radiated anxiety as well. They had just arrived back from an inspection to a damaged Sea Wall construct and had been shocked to learn that Apocalypse himself was here. They had set off immediately, heading for the control room. Holocaust silently cursed himself. He should have realized his father would make a surprise check. He knew Apocalypse well enough to know that he would not be pleased with the commissioning of Prelates without his approval or knowledge. It had also been one of Apocalypse's strictest strictures that one of them had to remain watching in the control rooms at all times. His feet moved a little faster. Beside him Mikhail Rasputin moved faster to catch up with Holocaust. They moved past bowing guards and soldiers. Holocaust pressed the button to summon the lift to him quickly. The energy mass that constituted what he was churned and varied between a blazing yellowish orange to angry red. His eyes maintained their position though, and below the headpiece, the energy that made up his face was tranquil compared to the rest of him. It was a fairly accurate representation of what he was feeling. He cursed it in his mind. It would tip off Apocalypse to what he felt, and it would count as a sign of weakness against him. He had to control it, not just from Apocalypse but from the man next to him and the Externals in The Tower. They would quickly smash him into oblivion if they detected even the smallest sign of weakness.  
  
As the lift doors opened, he got on board along with Rasputin. Holocaust waited almost impatiently for the lift to reach its destination. He glanced at Rasputin who was watching him with a small smile, though Holocaust could tell he was also worried. Holocaust took all his will and tried to control himself. Finally the energy stopped swirling around and he began to feel more at ease.  
  
The lift slowed down and finally came to halt. The doors opened and they stepped out onto the hallway. They walked forward more slowly now. Holocaust went up to the panel next to the door first and pressed his hand against it. He glowed for an instant and then stepped back as Rasputin took his place. After both had been scanned the door opened and they walked in. Holocaust glanced around for a second before his eyes came to rest on the figure who stood with his back turned to them. Apocalypses cape hung down as unmoving as the figure which owned it. Holocaust and Rasputin both bowed, knowing that Apocalypse would switch his attention to them once he was done with whatever he was occupied with. Out of the corner of his eyes Holocaust could see Deathbird and Erik the Red getting up from their positions on the floor, where they had bowed to them as they entered. On the other side of the room he was sure the Bedlam brothers would be getting up as well. They weren't brothers in the exact sense of the word. They were both dark skinned, and both had roughly the same build. One was bald however with a goatee and the other had long curly hair. They both wore light blue armor, with darker blue pants and t-shirt under the light-blue armor. Their gauntlets were massive and served as weapons on their own.  
  
Apocalypse spoke then, "Welcome my wayward lieutenants."  
  
He turned to look at them. The two remained kneeling, not speaking; they knew better than to try and make excuses. Apocalypse would ask them himself, or he would lecture them about it, but he would not expect them to make excuses unless he asked for any reason.  
  
"It seems you have not followed my directives, in either remaining here or in letting none else into this control room. You have also given mutants who I have no knowledge of the rank of Prelate. I cannot remember ever being told of these 'Prelates'. I do not believe it has slipped my mind."  
  
Apocalypse had begun to walk towards them with every word and when he was done talking he stood right in front of them.  
  
"Rise."  
  
They stood, facing him impassively. Apocalypse smiled slightly. He raised his hand, and the other two flinched slightly. Holocaust for a moment contemplated what would happen if he blasted Apocalypse. Immediately he banished it from his mind. Not only was it disloyal to his father but it was futile. Holocaust could lay waste to a city in a matter of minutes, but it would barely hurt Apocalypse. Even if he had concentrated all his power Apocalypse would still be alive to counterattack, and that counterattack would leave Holocaust dead.  
  
"You disappoint me. However, all that is dross. I have observed these Prelates and they meet with some approval. Perhaps they will help in ridding me of some problems. However the main reason I have come is to take back the Reavers with me. Inform Pierce that he and his Reavers must be ready to leave within ten hours."  
  
Apocalypse turned and strode towards the monitor banks again. Holocaust and Rasputin looked at each other and then Rasputin walked over to one of the control berths. He quickly relayed the message to Pierce. Holocaust walked forward and stood next to his father.  
  
"I do not understand the need for the Reavers Father."  
  
Apocalypse turned and studied his son.  
  
"You have a limited mind yet son. It shall take a while before you are able to plan for all avenues and all obstacles. Yet you have shown good judgment in usage of your powers and whilst in battle your tactics are sound. However you have not yet mastered foresight. The key to complete victory is to strike at the enemy when he least expects it, and in ways which he cannot even begin to comprehend. When faced with multiple enemies you must be prepared for anything. With these Reavers and my Horsemen along with the kill-droids and my armies, I shall attack all but a few of my enemies. Those few I shall leave alive for one reason only. It is sometimes better to leave a valuable enemy standing, the enemy may yet play an important part in your own designs."  
  
Holocaust absorbed the information as best as he could. What did Apocalypse mean all of his enemies? Surely the X-men and human remnant were all that he had to worry about?  
  
Apocalypse turned around and watched as Rasputin returned.  
  
"Pierce will be here, ready to leave, with all of the Reavers in a few hours.. Milord, a question has nagged me for a while now. With Archanfel dead, who will take over the ruling of his sector?"  
  
Apocalypse looked at him, then smiled. It was a smile that seemed to say that Apocalypse knew exactly what Rasputin meant.  
  
"Of course, I have not forgotten that. Holocaust will be accompanying me as well. You Rasputin will be in charge of the Sea Wall. The Sea Wall will be completely under your control. The sensors on the door have already been updated to recognize your bio-signature. You will be able to freely use the control room. As I am. You will remain in charge of this until I am able to rebuild the Tower completely. Once it is complete, you will come there. The control of the Sea Wall will be carried out from there."  
  
Rasputin smiled in a sickly manner.  
  
"The day of Armageddon is close at hand. A war shall be fought as none has been thus far. The strong shall be the only remaining ones on the planet. The weak shall be culled from the strong. Thus and only thus will the Age of Apocalypse truly begin. My Age, with my Strength, one even the almighty Celestial's will fear."  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Magneto looked down at the barren land below him. He had taken a small team with him and set out towards America again. Bypassing the Sea Wall had been easier than usual due to more and more advanced techniques. Small craft like this one were barely visible on the Sea Wall's sophisticated radar. On average radar they would never show up. He had brought along Piotr, Kitty, Jean, Sean and Logan. He had no idea what he expected to find, but something had drawn him here. Perhaps it was fate. Rogue had not been pleased, and it had taken Wanda to convince her to stay. Erik wasn't in Rogue's good books at the moment and he would need to do a lot of making up. A small smile creased his face; the making up wouldn't be all that bad at that. He was glad that Wanda and Rogue had become friends. Wanda's dislike of Rogue had been a problem. However, she had managed to overcome her dislike and the two had in a matter of a week become fast friends. Ororo had taken a smaller team to look for Remy. He had disappeared five days ago and had not contacted them after that. Ororo had become frantic and Rogue had become very worried. Remy was impulsive but he wasn't stupid. He knew that they would become worried if he didn't contact them frequently. Erik stroked his chin slowly. Remy had better have a good reason for his disappearance; other wise Erik would bring his full wrath to bear on him. Something had happened between him and Rogue as well. Before the assault on the Tower, there had been a tension between them, but after the Tower Rogue had barely acknowledged him. In fact the Cajun had fallen out of favor with quite a few females, including Ororo and Wanda, who had been his firm friends for a long time now. Erik had not always gotten along with Remy, but he had pitied the man then.  
  
He shook his head. Now was not the time to worry about trivial matters such as that. He sighed. He had many other, more pressing and worrisome problems to occupy his mind with. * Charles, you really stuck me with a big problem this time. *  
  
"I'm picking up a mutant signature Mags. It's a powerful mutant whoever it is. On low energy levels he was still picked up by our radar."  
  
Magneto shook himself out of his reverie. "Where is this mutant?"  
  
"Close by. In what was San Francisco. He's near fisherman's wharf."  
  
"Hurry there. Any mutant we save from Apocalypse is for the better."  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Quja stared at the read out. It was impossible. The sheet showed that it was a Mutant who should be dead. He turned towards Havok.  
  
"Hey Alex, read this. It's strange."  
  
Havok took the sheet from him. He quickly scanned the read out and turned to the monitor. He quickly accessed the file on the mutant they had discovered.  
  
"It's a restricted file. Let's check out what this mutant is. We should be able to get some credit for his capture. It will elevate us in Apocalypse's eyes."  
  
Quja nodded and strode out of the room. Havok stood in the room for a second thinking how this might be a chance for promotion. He intended to go all the way to the top of the pack. He wanted to rule. This would only help him in that. He turned around and began walking out of the room. He needed help. Lorna would be useful there. Perhaps he would have her as his aide.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Bishop stood up to begin his wandering again. He was determined to go somewhere. He just wasn't sure where exactly that was. Bishop begun to shuffle forward. That was when he heard it. The sound of whining engines. Bishops hand instinctively went to his side, almost unconsciously. His fingers closed around nothing. In his mind he cursed himself for being all kinds of a fool. His guns had become next to useless ten years ago. There was no way to recharge them. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew. He hoped his power would kick in as it did sometimes. He turned to look as Four figures, followed by nearly twenty others dropped from the ship hovering overhead. The ship then went a little way off and hovered there. A small part of Bishops mind told him that this was a sound tactic, though he wasn't sure why. He raised his hands to fight off these formidable looking opponents. The one who appeared to lead them was a tall broad-shouldered young man. He was dressed in Black with fairly heavy Blue armor. A stylized circle was on his chest. His head was covered in the same Black material as his bodysuit, other than his hair and face. As he walked forward Bishop felt the tug of energy from him. His boots made a heavy thudding sound as he came forward. The woman walking just behind and to the left of him wore a yellow top which had blue slashes which became wider till her legs were encased in only blue. Her strangely green hair flew about in the wind. Another woman who followed near the rear wore a very light blue, almost white bodysuit with a high neck. Her arms were bare however and her gauntlets were a bit too large for her delicate looking arms. A white bandanna swooped her platinum blonde hair back. The last of the four was a wiry built man who was wearing a completely gray outfit, with black armor. 'Prelates' was the word that flashed through Bishops head.  
  
"You are to come with us mutant." The leading mans words were smoothly delivered, to the point. Bishops frowned. He wasn't going anywhere. He could faintly recollect having met the blonde leader and the green haired woman. In far more pleasant circumstances. He stepped back and braced himself for a fight. He wasn't going anywhere.  
  
"Leave Prelate's, this man is not going to your pens!"  
  
All on the ground looked up, The Prelate's in angry recognition, Bishop in surprise. Five figures were hurtling down from a large black jet. One of them was clad in Purple, with a black helmet, and a black cape fluttering behind. Massive layered gauntlets covered his forearms up to the elbows. Bishop could recall having seen him somewhere before, but this time the memory was very unclear, as though he had seen this man do very different things. A redheaded woman flew behind him, a dark blue mark over her left eye and cheek. She wore a red bodysuit, which became blue at the legs. She wore red boots and a black jacket like garment over her shoulders, that ended just above her breasts. A pinkish colored beam connected her to another individual who was wearing a dark blue costume, slashed at intervals with red. One of his hands was a metal implant, with no fingers. His face was partly covered with a mask which ended in two pointed ends led to by large 'wings'. Another man falling was dressed in a black and yellow bodysuit, which covered him from neck down. From his arms came out five large strips, made of leather or the same material as the suit. The last and only freely falling member was a man built almost entirely of steel. He wore red and yellow, which only covered his body and part of his legs. Huge boots were on his feet and his face was partially covered with a bandanna. Eyed gleamed through slits in the bandanna.  
  
The large metal man landed on the ground raising a cloud of dust. Bishop could make out very little. He decided that it was time to make a retreat.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Magneto led the charge against the Prelates and the mutant units they had brought along with them. The mutant units and soldiers immediately began to run forward, weapons and powers blazing. Quja quickly created a psi-sword and held it in front of him. Phoenix quickly set Weapon X to the ground. He quickly unsheathed his claws and snarled. Quja took the moment to rush him. His psi-sword whirled in his hands. Weapon X warily circled him. Quja was the most proficient swords master in the world. Phoenix wasn't surprised to see him choose a sword as his psi-weapon.  
  
"You're mine telepath!"  
  
Phoenix didn't bother with any words. She quickly hurled a telekinetic blast at him. He deflected it with his psi-sword. He rushed forward and Phoenix quickly erected a shield. He slashed at it and Phoenix had to quickly erect another one. She gritted her teeth. This wouldn't be a repeat fight of the one she had in the Tower. She quickly erected a shield and sprang back. Quja slashed this one away as well. Phoenix then erected another shield, but one that spread and then quickly enveloped her, a large shield that spread close to her. It was difficult, but it worked. Quja slashed the air in front of Phoenix and nearly fell forward. Phoenix took the chance and smashed her fist against his jaw. Quja stumbled back, the psi-blade in his hands flickering. Phoenix leapt forward and kicked him in the head. Quja staggered back again.  
  
Havok shot plasma blasts at Weapon X, but he kept on dodging them and coming closer with each miss. Havok shot faster and faster, knowing that the increased speed meant less of an impact, but it would still stagger Weapon X for a while. A shot finally grazed his arm and Havok yelled in triumph. He leapt forward and smashed into Weapon X's back with his shoulder armor, which stuck out. Weapon X snarled and turned. Havok leapt back just in time to avoid Weapon X's claws from ripping him open.  
  
Magneto faced off against Polaris, who looked at him with a cold gleam in her eyes.  
  
"You killed my father you piece of shit. For that I'll kill you."  
  
Magneto watched her with a pitying look. She was not to blame for what Archanfel had done. She and Havok had been from a very young age trained to hate the X-men and trained to kill them. However the fact that she could senselessly butcher thousands as she had done in the past was something he would not tolerate. To stop her she must be killed.  
  
"If that is how you feel child."  
  
"I'm not a child, I'm a Prelate. Understand that Magneto, for it is your death." Polaris spat at him.  
  
Magneto jumped back in order to avoid a blast she threw at him. Magneto immediately began to use her power against her. He drew on her energy and hit her with a magnetic blast. She flew back and skidded a few feet back. Magneto flew forward and prepared to hit her with a final blow. She erected a magnetic shield quickly, and his blast dissipated. Without warning she rose from the ground, dragging several metallic objects out of the surrounding buildings and rubble. Magneto diverted all of the metallic objects, leaving himself open for Polaris to kick him cleanly in the jaw, nearly breaking it. He cursed and staggered backwards. Polaris punched him in the stomach with both fists. Magneto gasped for breath and lashed out with his massive gauntlets. Polaris fell back. Suddenly Magneto felt someone grab him from the back. Someone big. A huge mutant unit lifted him off the ground and flung him back. Magneto used his power to halt his flight and float in the air. He blasted the huge mutant, sending him flying back, unconscious.  
  
Colossus had five mutants down around him and was engaged in a prolonged fight against a very malleable mutant. Punching him was having no discernable effect. Another appeared from behind him and smashed into him. Its horns didn't harm Colossus, but it hurt the large mutant. Colossus grunted sourly and turned, punching the horned mutant into oblivion. Two more came forward. Colossus looked at them and weighed his options. It didn't look good. Suddenly a barrage of laser fire rained down from the X- jet. It knocked the malleable mutant and one of the other two out, leaving only a panicking young mutant. It was apparently symbiotic, a mutant reliant on another to use it's powers.  
  
"Thank you Katya, the assistance was helpful." Colossus shouted to his lover. The entire mutant unit was down, Colossus turned to the humans who had been shooting him ineffectually. In the few minutes since the battle begun they had managed to put together a portable launcher and the missile hurtled towards Colossus. Kitty fired on it from the X-jet but her shots went wide and the missile smashed into Colossus.  
  
Banshee circled Lumina. She had created a shield around her and was not expanding it. She let the shield remain and began to concentrate on creating a rod of energy, a large one. Banshee noticed the growing line of energized molecules and flew back from it. His sonic scream had had no effect on the shield. The energy rod complete Lumina began swinging it. Banshee narrowly avoided the rod and began to think feverishly, trying to work out how to beat the shield. His eyes narrowed and he communicated with Kitty to fire on his word. He flew far back and screamed at a large, half broken billboard. It began to fall forward, pulling many wires out of the walls in the process. He gave the word and Kitty fired one shot, before turning back to Colossus. The billboard blew up just as it struck the shield, giving out more energy at one time than Lumina could handle. Before her shield could blow up, she dissolved it and began to set off her chain reactions, allowing her enough time to escape the explosion. Banshee cried out triumphantly and dove towards her.  
  
Havok was having a lot of problems. Wolverine was everywhere at once and he was having a tough time just keeping the feral at bay. Both of his hands were dangerous, the claws on one hand and the slab of metal on the other. This only seemed to enrage the feral who seemed to grow faster and his attacks more dangerous with each successful block of Havoks. Havok admitted that it wasn't one of his better idea's to fight Weapon X in close quarters. Suddenly he got a sudden reprieve in the form of a missile striking Weapon X. The feral mutant smashed into a building because of the explosion. Havok smiled in relief, when he heard Lumina scream for help.  
  
Banshee was bearing down on her and she had no means of countering before his scream knocked her out. This was not going as planned at all. He aimed at Banshee and shot a plasma blast at him. Banshee however noticed it and managed to narrowly avoid the blast. Suddenly Quja fell on the ground next to him and slowly began getting up. Havok turned to see Phoenix bearing down on him. He shot at her with a plasma blast, but her telekinetic shield dissipated the blast. Havok snarled in anger and prepared to shoot again when he heard someone approach from behind. He turned just in time to prevent himself getting skewered by Weapon X. He looked to his soldiers who were nowhere to be seen. Where they had been stood Colossus, looking slightly battered but none the worse for wear. Polaris and Lumina quickly joined him. Magneto came flying up, and the X-jet began hovering behind the assembled X-men. Havok cursed under his breath and summoned his own craft. The Prelates began backing off as the X-men advanced. His craft came forward and suddenly stopped a few hundred feet away. Magneto gestured towards it and it went spinning back and smashed into two buildings before exploding. Havok cursed loudly and explicitly, it looked very much like they were going to die. The X-men weren't going to waste any time now. He needed to make a plea for his life.  
  
"We surrender."  
  
Weapon X snorted.  
  
"You're finished Prelates."  
  
Magneto lifted his hand to order the final strike. Havok closed his eyes. A sudden humming caused him to open them again. He looked up towards the sound. Another craft was approaching them, at a very high speed.  
  
Magneto looked at it and raised his hand, however this time Polaris was ready. She lifted her hand as well and severed Magneto's attempt to hold the craft. The hatch opened and a large figure jumped out. It landed neatly on two feet, standing gracefully. It's cape hung behind it.  
  
Apocalypse's most powerful lieutenant, the dread lord Sammael opened his eyes. His forehead creased slightly as he surveyed the area, then he turned to the X-men.  
  
"Your last mistake was in coming here Magnus."  
  
Weapon X snarled in rage, "No you goddamn External, yours was."  
  
He leapt forward, claw extended. Sammael simply lifted his hand and Weapon X just managed to avoid a massive energy blast. Magneto hit him with a magnetic blast, but Sammael only staggered back before brushing it off. Sammael rose in the air, levitating a few feet off the ground. He spread his hands and the X-men scattered as multiple energy beams struck where they had just been standing. Sammael's eyes glowed with power before a blast from his hand smashed Banshee into a building. Phoenix hurled a telekinetic blast at him just as Magneto hit him with a magnetic blast again. Sammael reeled, but again managed to shake it off. Quja and Lumina were too hurt to fight and Havok was too drained to shoot any substantial blast. Polaris shot at Colossus, but Kitty was already there, shooting at Polaris, who abandoned the attempt and flew out of the way.  
  
"Get on board my craft, quickly." Sammael said calmly to the Prelates.  
  
Polaris lifted Quja and Lumina quickly and then returned for Havok. Havok used the last of his energy to blast Weapon X, who fell back. Polaris then carried him up to the craft.  
  
Sammael watched as Colossus charged him. He blocked Colossus's punch and struck him himself. Colossus staggered back. Phoenix looked at him in surprise. Sammael smiled. Colossus would have probably hurt Sammael if he hadn't been so weak from battle. He met Magneto's blast with one of his own then glided up calmly still shooting energy blasts. He stepped onto the craft and turned to look at the X-men looking up at him in frustration. Polaris was using the last of her strength to keep Magneto from tossing the craft as he had the last. Sammael sent a final blast raining down on them.  
  
By the time the X-men could do anything the craft had flown off too far and too fast for Magneto to hold it, especially as Polaris still protected it. Magneto shook his head in anger. "Let's go, they'll be back and our wandering mutant is nowhere nearby, as far as I can tell."  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Contrary to Magneto's thoughts, Bishop was not too far off, watching from the top of a building. He saw the X-men leave. He was lucky to have escaped, especially since that External had shown up. Bishop turned and began walking down the staircase. He should also leave the ruined town. The Tower would probably send someone after him, or at least to find out if the X-men had any hidden base in the city. In a couple of hours the city would no longer be safe for him. He had to leave. He walked out of the building and headed towards the town exit that led inland. He would wander till he found answers to questions he did not know. His memory before the last twenty years was unclear. He knew his name, but he wasn't sure of what else. The X-men. the name struck a chord in him. So had Magneto and when he first heard of Apocalypse he had been sure that it would lead to nothing good. However the main worry he had was Magneto. From what his heart told him, Magneto was not someone to be trusted. However he was not sure why. He sometimes felt as though he were not from this world, or even this time. Again he was not sure why. He would wander, searching, until he could find out the answers he needed.  
  
================================================  
  
Well, there it was. The entrance of Bishop. What does he have to do with this storyline, people may wonder. Read on. It'll become apparent in a while (a long while actually.)  
  
Anyway, the two main characters this fic was meant for return next chapter. Plus, some startling developments as the X-team begins to break down. 


	6. A Trap To Be Sure

Hello people. Hope ya'll enjoy the stories as much as ah like givin em to ya.  
  
anyway, I'll be pretty busy over the next few days, what with religious holidays coming up and stuff. So I'll pretty much not update for a few days. Until then, I leave you with two new chapters.  
  
Disclaimer: Decided to throw this in every few chapters. Prudence is a virtue.  
  
*~*  
  
A Trap to Be Sure  
  
Scott followed his young guides down to the town. It wasn't large by any standards, maybe a maximum population of about five thousand. However they were all fairly relaxed, and none of them reacted to his presence. It seemed they all thought they were safe. That wasn't possible. If he had stumbled across it, Apocalypse would most assuredly find it. However there was the fact to consider that Apocalypse had no real power here. It was really only in the America's that Apocalypse was truly powerful. In Eurasia and The remains of Africa Apocalypse's presence was not as heavily felt. In fact in the Mediterranean region Apocalypse had very little power. As the High Prelate he had had access to a lot of information, though not all. The village should still be on their guard however. With these children already seeming to be such highly developed mutants it was obvious that Apocalypse's sensors would pick them up. Scott followed them up into a large building. They gestured to him to go in and followed from behind. It was strange that no one had appeared to notice him, or give him anything more than a cursory glance. For people in hiding from Apocalypse they seemed to be a bit too lax.  
  
He walked into a room that the children told him to go into. Two guards stood outside with small firearms in their holsters. It took Scott's pre- occupied mind a few seconds after going into the hall to wonder why the children had been allowed to enter a council building so easily and freely. He spun around to confront them to find himself looking at four significantly larger individuals. Well three larger anyway. Chiklet had become taller and his frailty had changed to a look of wiry strength. His long thick hair had become wispy and receding on his scalp. Smooth clean- shaven features had replaced his stubble. Neeb-Dog had become much larger and more ruddy complexioned. His jowls had become heavier and some stubble was on his chin. His eyebrows had become far thicker and his hair had become slightly longer. The short fairly built build had become a large heavily muscled one. 'Him' had become taller and slightly better built.  
  
A large black hood, hiding his features, covered his face. Scott could only make out slightly grayish skin. The hood descended into a cloak that covered all but his legs, clad in black. Baboon had remained as short though his stockiness was replaced by a voluptuous figure of a woman. Her hair had remained the same length as well. The woman was clad in a halter like top and boots that came up to her thighs. A black lace undergarment covered her nether regions.  
  
Scott's eyes widened. These were External's; renegades that Sammael wanted hunted down.  
  
"I see that you recognize us high prelate. I would have expected no less of course."  
  
The balding man, Asmodeus spoke calmly and with slight amusement.  
  
The woman Behamen smiled in a sultry manner, much like Candra now that he thought of it.  
  
Scott cursed himself for being foolish enough to walk into what was most likely a trap. The storm that had brought him here began to take on a whole new meaning, however he had not seen Galaire yet to put the proof to his suspicion. The large man Astaroth gave a short bark of laughter.  
  
The last one, Gilgamesh merely stood in one place barely moving. Scott stepped back, slowly lowering his visor.  
  
"Come now Cyclops, surely you realize that it is not necessary to fight. You would have no hope against us anyway."  
  
Scott smiled. He knew he would stand no chance against them; he just needed a diversion.  
  
"Oh, I know I don't stand a chance against you Asmodeus. Not when you've got Behamen, Astaroth and uh. Gilgamesh to back you up."  
  
Perfectly said. Now if they thought he was suicidal and the other three, especially Gilgamesh took the insult as Scott hoped, he would be able to escape here. As expected Behamen glared towards Asmodeus and Gilgamesh raised a hand as if to curse him. Astaroth growled deep in his throat. Scott took his chance and shot his optic blast at a precise point. He blew the doors apart. At the same time he transferred some energy to his gauntlets. He rushed forward as the Externals began to retaliate. In mid- run he suddenly took a flip backwards, shooting from his gauntlets. He blasted the wall open, landing neatly in front of it. He smiled for a second at the advancing Externals and turned and ran out of the hall. He had nearly reached the end of the passageway after a few turns, when he saw someone standing in front of a door. The man was impressive whoever it was. He wore all black. Scott had no idea who it was. The arrogance in his eyes and the set of his eyes coupled with his straight nose reminded Scott of someone.  
  
"Out of my way, whoever you are."  
  
He lowered his visor, his beam just enough to knock the man down. Surprisingly the beam had little or no effect on him. He seemed to shrug off the attack and began walking purposefully forward. Scott blinked and shot again, this time with ten times the strength. This time the mutant, as he obviously must be, staggered back. Scott ran forward and powered up his gauntlets and punched the mutant. The large man staggered back as the powered up gauntlets hit his face. Suddenly he kicked Scott in the stomach. Scott flew back a few feet, landing clumsily on the ground. He got up quickly. The mutant was very strong as well. The kick had been a glancing blow, yet it had hurt more than a full kick in the stomach would have.  
  
"As Asmodeus said, it is not my intention to fight you. We brought you peacefully. If it had been our intention to fight or kill you, rest assured you would not be able to last as long as you have."  
  
Scott snarled, "Who are you? And for the record duping me into coming counts as aggressive action on my part." It was clear from the mans voice and tone that he was an authority figure, the way he said Asmodeus's name proved that he was either very brave or indeed his superior. The latter seemed unlikely however.  
  
"I am Nidlen Halfbane, that is all you need to know."  
  
Scott looked at him for an instant. What did he mean that is all he needed to know? Scott charged up his gloves, and readied his optic beam for a three-prong attack. Suddenly he heard a rushing sound from his right. He turned quickly only to be slammed into the side of the passage with tremendous force as a literal pillar of water slammed into him. As he lost consciousness he saw a pair of frosty blue eyes gazing down at him, joined by a pair of black eyes.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Remy slowly opened his eyes. He looked around him for a second trying to adjust himself to his strange surroundings. He was captured he remembered that much. Sinister and Candra had attacked him in Bella's grotto. He didn't remember being brought to wherever he was, and neither did he remember being strapped into whatever apparatus he was currently bound in. The walls of the laboratory he was in looked familiar. His eyes widened slightly. He was in The Tower, in Sinister's laboratory. He had been strapped into a large disk the last time he was here. Out of the corner of his right eye he could see the disk. He was in the corner of a room; his arms and legs were inside two holes in a large oval-ish machine, where they were strapped to the insides by metal bands. His chest was bare; he was only in his black tights. Even his boots had been taken off, as well as his gloves. His hair hung over his eyes. The room was filled with strange machines, the likes of which he had only seen once before; in this very laboratory. Thin and tubes and wires alike snaked across the walls. In the other corner of the room a large glass chamber stood on top of a large machine. A strange ethereal light snaked into it from the top. A young human male was inside. His features seemed somewhat familiar, but Remy couldn't place them. Something stirred in the corner of the room. Remy looked at the disturbance to see a dark animal like creature coming towards him. It wore a lab coat over dark gray fur. Its legs were encased in metallic armor from the waist to halfway down its lower legs. Wild, long hair sprouted from its head, hanging halfway down its back. It had a very powerful build, a dangerous gleam in its eyes. Remy knew he could only be looking at Hank McCoy, The Dark Beast.  
  
He walked up to Remy and placed a massive hand on Remy's chest. He ran it up his chest muttering something under his breath. Then he put both hands around Remy's waist, measuring it apparently. He walked back to the control panel he had risen from.  
  
"Ah, at last you are awake monsieur Lebeau. I was beginning to become rather worried. I have oft chided mister Sinister to be more careful when bringing back guests. Still I always relish a chance to work on some of his apparatus; it is in many ways more suited to a biochemist like myself. I have been ordered to gain information from you about the rebels, yet I must not bring harm to your body or brain in any way. That leaves me a rather small margin in which to work, but I am always up for a challenge. I have several neural stimuli that can readily bring answers to even the most reticent interviewees, as it were."  
  
He walked over to a large panel on the wall.  
  
"With this control board I can control where certain probes that are implanted in your head will strike. I shall then question you. It is a most remarkable technique. Only one of your comrades was able to survive one worse than this, but she was bolstered by emotion, yet she too would have broken down if that accursed traitor, Cyclops hadn't shown up. Shall we begin?"  
  
So saying he pressed a few buttons and Remy began to spasm as wave after wave of pain hit his body. It felt like lead pipes were beating him, yet he couldn't see anything, nor could he feel any blows. It was just the feeling that came after being struck by a severe blow that takes hours to recover from. He gritted his teeth and looked as Dark Beast walked up to him. Dark Beast began to question him.  
  
'Where is your headquarters, this Muir Isle? The only Muir Isle that I know was destroyed in a raid against the sentinel's prime manufacturing site, near Scotland."  
  
Remy smiled at him, and looked deep into the beast's eyes. He felt something kick in him, and he felt the emotions of the mutant opposite him. He did what he always did when this happened; he twisted the emotions. The Dark Beast looked at him then surprisingly a large red diamond appeared on his forehead for an instant. It vanished completely but not before Remy saw it. His eyes widened now, and the feeling disappeared. The beast opposite him wasn't Dark Beast after all, he was Sinister! The pain in him seemed to grow to unbearable levels, but he didn't say anything. Sinister then walked over to the control panel still masquerading as Dark Beast. He pressed a switch and the pain receded till only the memory of it remained. The Dark Beast stood in front of the panel for a while then turned to him, his shape changing as he turned. Dark fur was replaced by gleaming silver metal. Long shaggy hair was replaced by long black hair. A goatee replaced the unkempt beard. Pale white skin replaced the fuzzy fur on the face. Red eyes replaced black. The form became little taller, a little thinner. A cape formed of live tendrils snaked about behind him. Red armor covered his chest, purple over his abdomen and groin. Purple gauntlets and purple boots adorned his arms and legs respectively. A man to respect, even if nothing was known of him. From what Remy knew of him, a little fear also entered into the equation, however anger was the chief emotion in him.  
  
"Sinister. you sonofabitch."  
  
The external looked at him calmly.  
  
"Your empathy is quite strong. Behamen would have been surprised and flustered to find someone who has such a strong control over it without any guidance by a proper empath. It is however surprising you managed to affect Candra with it. She above all of us was the least susceptible to it. Speaking of Candra, I suppose you should know. Candra and I have total freedom to do as we will with you. You hold some sort of fascination for us both, however I believe mine is that of science, whereas Candra's is purely carnal in nature. She wants you to come to her in about a couple of hours, so that gives me enough time to scan you for mutations, and of course figure out the extent of your abilities. Your physiology is very interesting. I cannot change you in any way, or perform any experiments on you as yet. Candra would reveal your presence if I did. I believe she enjoys Apocalypse's favor more than any other of us lieutenants of his, even more than his own son. It would be uncomfortable for me if Apocalypse found out about you. I would prefer to have you at my disposal. Apocalypse would likely convert you to his armies faster than you could say your name."  
  
'I can say somet'ings pretty fast mon ami, do you wanna hear?"  
  
"Your humor fails to entertain me completely Lebeau."  
  
"Dat's cause you be having a stick so far up your ass you're left wit none."  
  
Sinister smiled chillingly at him.  
  
"We shall see who has a greater sense of humor at the end of our time together Lebeau."  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Apocalypse walked stared out of the window, a brooding expression on his face. Holocaust watched him slightly anxiously. For all of his own vaunted power he was still slightly nervous around his father. Apocalypse was difficult to read at best, and sometimes his actions seemed to have no real purpose. In the end however the results were worse than anything the one who most pondered his actions could imagine. He had no way of knowing whether Apocalypse intended to kill him now, or to teach him something new, or even set him some difficult, however enjoyable task.  
  
Apocalypse was aware of what went on through his sons head, and smiled inwardly. Holocaust was very easy to read still, even though he was nothing but energy now. Apocalypse was taking him to where none but Dark Beast and Sinister had been. Those two even because it was necessary. For Holocaust however it was so that he could be a worthy second in command. For long Apocalypse had brooded over whom to delegate as his right hand .well, man so to speak. At first he had thought it would be Sinister; however he didn't trust Sinister, far less now than before. The next in mind was Sammael, however even Sammael plotted. Sammael was probably the most tactically brilliant of his lieutenants, but he followed his own agenda. His mind had turned next to Candra. She had been a loyal and devoted follower of his for a long time, and of all of his lieutenants, except Holocaust, she had been the most reliable. However something about her just did not rub him the right way. That had left Holocaust. His own son. That had provided another boon to him. His enemies would see it as paternal affection, a sign of weakness, and seek to hurt him through holocaust. He would be waiting if anyone tried that. Even if Holocaust must perish in the attempt the gains would outweigh the loss. He looked down at the water from the huge eye that served as a window. He was standing in the head of the massive statue of himself that stood in the place of the statue of Liberty. The head of Liberty still lay by his statues feet, a testament to his triumph over the weak.  
  
His staying here did not mean anything; he just wanted Holocaust to become anxious. Leaving now would be a good time. He turned abruptly and began walking out of the room, saying only one word.  
  
"Come."  
  
Holocaust looked up at him and hurriedly stood to follow. As they reached the door Apocalypse turned and grabbed his arm. Holocaust flinched slightly and Apocalypse allowed himself a small smile. He felt the familiar floating sensation as he teleported to his destination. Death Camp 7, one of his many sources of life-force. Holocaust looked slightly dazed as they arrived. He walked towards one of the ramps that led up into the death camp itself. Holocaust followed.  
  
"My lord, why are we here?"  
  
Apocalypse paused to look at him then continued walking onward.  
  
"This, Nemesis, is one of the few places where I can allow my energies to recuperate, and I can add to my own energies as well."  
  
Holocaust looked at him, "My name is Holocaust, my lord."  
  
Apocalypse glanced at him for a second, not breaking step. His son would understand soon enough.  
  
A few hours later Apocalypse watched as his son walked out next to him confidence marking his every step. His plan was going better than he had hoped. His energies were at their fullest, and he felt better than he had in a while. He should make it a point to visit the death camps more often.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Sammael stood in front of the assembled Prelates. His face was a mask of anger. Behind him sat Candra and Exodus. Sinister was in his laboratory and had decided not to attend the session.  
  
The Prelates stood in front of the Externals, lined up at attention. They were all nervous, especially Havok. It had been Havok's idea to capture the mutant. Therefore he stood to receive the harshest punishments. However the External's might consider that all the Prelates were of an equal ranking, and hence they were all equally responsible. A full mutant unit had been lost, as well as a few soldiers. Human guards who were well enough trained and had undergone Dark Beast's psychic study were hard enough to find as it was. Polaris stood at Havok's side slightly stiff. Quja and Lumina were slightly awestruck. They had only seen the External's hall once or twice. Havok and Polaris had been here a few times though. Even then the hall was impressive. It rose nearly a hundred feet up, and was circular the edges. While their chairs dwarfed the room even, the massive throne behind their own smaller ones dwarfed them by its mere presence. It was the occupant of that chair that Havok feared most.  
  
"You are a most disgusting lot. Even the most inept human servant would be intelligent to understand the stupidity in fighting the X-men, especially when they have Magneto in command. You Havok led them; however they had no reason to listen to your stupid commands. Your brother the ex-High Prelate would never have made such a mistake."  
  
Havok's ears began to burn as his brother was mentioned. He wondered if he would ever be free of his shadow. When next they met he would tear him apart piece by piece.  
  
"I don't think using that traitor would be such a good example."  
  
Havok's gaze shifted to Candra. The lushly beautiful External sat on the throne like a bored queen. Her cat like eyes met his and went past. He looked at Sammael again. It was rumored that Cyclops had enjoyed her. favors for a night. Another way in which his brother had overshadowed him. Rage filled him, but he didn't let any show on his face.  
  
"You are all fools. For what you have done I would have had you killed. Understand that the only reason I do not have you killed is because training mutants to be as good as you should be is difficult. You can fight well enough. What you lack is intelligence. We External's have decided to allow you one more chance to redeem yourselves. Prove to us that you are worthy of your positions and we shall award you with honor. Prove that you are inept, and your reward shall be death."  
  
Sammael stood for a few seconds watching them, letting his words sink in. Havok nearly grimaced under his gaze.  
  
"You may leave."  
  
The Prelates saluted as one, and turned to leave.  
  
Suddenly a faint humming was heard, and then Apocalypse stood in front of the entrance to the hall. A split second later a large individual who seemed to be energy encased in a containment suit appeared next to him. Havok knew who it was, Holocaust, the son of Apocalypse, a mutant who stood equally with the Externals. The four Prelates stood in shock. Apocalypse turned his gaze to them and all four quickly bowed low.  
  
"Lord Apocalypse, what.?"  
  
Havok had never heard Exodus at a loss for words. At Apocalypse's gesture they went and stood by the entrance doors. He walked up to the three Externals in the room. They watched him intently, making no sound.  
  
"How is it that Sinister is not here? Is he busy in his laboratory again?" Apocalypse asked the question almost congenially. The Externals watched him carefully. The tone had put them on alert, that much was clear to Havok. Holocaust walked behind Apocalypse, looking at ease, however it was difficult to judge Holocaust.  
  
"I want him to come here right now. You Havok, the traitor's brother. call your adoptive father. Be quick about it."  
  
Havok started when Apocalypse called him. He strode over to the communications console in one corner of the room. He quickly paged Sinister's laboratory. Sinister's face appeared on the monitor after a few seconds.  
  
"What is it? What do you want?" He looked annoyed, and more so at discovering Havok.  
  
"The master wants you to come to this hall immediately, sir." Havok tried to put the right amount of subservience and confidence in his voice, so as to impress Apocalypse.  
  
Sinister looked at him for a moment before replying.  
  
"Apocalypse is here?"  
  
Apocalypse took the words out of Havok's mouth, as well as taking control of the console. Havok had not heard him walk up to him.  
  
"Yes Sinister. I am here, and I want you to report to this hall immediately."  
  
Sinister's mouth tightened slightly, but he kept it fairly smooth. He nodded at once and the screen blinked out. Havok looked up at Apocalypse as though expecting orders. Apocalypse looked at him for a few seconds, then grabbing him by the shoulder led him towards the rest of the Prelates. Havok's heart pounded inside his chest. Maybe this was the day Apocalypse saw him for what he truly was. Then the glow that suffused him fled as he realized that Apocalypse would hear of their shameful defeat at the hands of the X-men.  
  
"You do your job well."  
  
Sammael spoke up then. Havok had not really expected him to let Apocalypse praise him after he had just censured him.  
  
"Not as well as you may think my lord." He outlined the Prelates battle against the X-men.  
  
Apocalypse had sat on his throne by now. The throne that seemed to dwarf the room before was now dwarfed by him. Not that the throne was small for him. His presence was such that none in it seemed real compared to him. Apocalypse sat in thought then spoke, his tone harsh.  
  
"Is failure after failure all that is to be expected from those in command in this tower? You Sammael should have had the sense to take back-up with you. Perhaps you would have finished off some of the X-men. Yet if Magneto was involved taking back-up may still not have been enough. As for you Prelate's. you are showing me the need to replace you with those more able to do your jobs. I find that I need to hurry along my plans slightly. Very well then, let Sinister arrive and then I shall tell all... so to speak."  
  
The room fell silent and then the door opened as Sinister arrived. He bowed to Apocalypse.  
  
'I have come as requested."  
  
Apocalypse's face seemed slightly amused.  
  
"Not requested Sinister, ordered. It is good that you are here. Take your seat." Apocalypse waited till Sinister was seated.  
  
"I have decided to finish what I begun all those years ago. It is time for me to take control of this entire planet, as was my intention. I have sent out my horsemen again, though this time they are the true four; Death, Plague, War and Beast. They already settle into where my enemies least expect it. They shall be ready to strike at my command. The Shadow King has gotten close to locating Avalon. Another associate of mine has found an old hideaway of the remnant of the Hellfire Club's External's. The monolith has been awakened; he is ready to attack the Human High Council. Rasputin and the Reavers stand ready for an assault on the Sentinel's base. The Dark Beast stands ready to implant the knowledge of what is necessary in the minds of my armies. However the only factor that remains is whether those in this room are ready. Holocaust is prepared for what he needs to do. You External's must prove to me that you are ready for battle. As for you Prelates. I will need strong commanders in the battle. Capable commanders, who will be able to respond to an attack with fair ease. Commanders who will be a direct link between my general's; these External's, Holocaust and Rasputin. To show me you are ready you have but a few weeks. Make good use of them."  
  
Havok shivered slightly. Apocalypse was going ahead with it. He would prove to all that he was better than Cyclops. He would stand by Apocalypse when it was all over. Perhaps even above him.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Remy walked into the room carefully. It was not exactly what he had expected. In fact the room reminded him of Bella's old rooms in the Assassin's guild headquarters. Bella. his stomach clenched slightly. This External was nothing like Bella. His bare feet sank into the plush carpet. The lavender and red all around him was making him slightly nauseated. It was too much like Bella's room. He could smell something, a smell that made him feel slightly lethargic. He walked into the middle of the room, looking around, his eye quickly judging the worth of the objects in the room. If he had managed to get into a room like this back in the days the guild still existed he would have made millions. Now though he just stood in the middle of the room, waiting for Candra to come.  
  
He did not have to wait long. A soft sultry voice greeting him broke into his thoughts. He turned as Candra walked into the room, wearing a thin halter like garment, which showed more cleavage than it hid. The halter had a swooping neckline that bared her down to her bellybutton in a large V. A belt secured a thin diaphanous material that covered thong-like underwear. She wore high boots, reaching up to slightly above her knees. Her cat like eyes were slightly hooded, her full lips provocatively colored the same ruby as her clothes. Her blonde hair was looking sexily rumpled. A cloak like cape hung behind her. Knowing what she was, knowing what she had done Remy still felt his mouth go dry as desire consumed him. His eyes burned a deep, glowing red.  
  
"I am glad to finally have you to myself Remy." Her voice was soft and almost purring. She walked up to him and Remy flinched as she put a finger on his chest. His powers were safely controlled by a power inhibitor placed in his shoulder. He could feel it under his skin. She began pushing him backwards and Remy staggered back as her telekinetic power forced him to. He had not felt this helpless in a long time. Not even when Sinister had had him trussed up. What did she want? She was surely not doing all this just to sleep with him??? Was she?  
  
"Do not look so uncomfortable rebel. You are the only man to ever affect me with any sort of psychic power. Even Behamen, queen of empathy could never affect me with her empathy, and she could make even Sammael dance if she wanted. I find it intriguing; you are the only man with any sort of power over me, except perhaps Apocalypse. You of course know that he has no idea of your presence in this Tower. Actually he might at that. Nevertheless it is of no consequence. For now you are mine."  
  
Her hand flittered lightly across his collarbone. Bare-chested as he was, her touch seemed to be pure satin. He felt blood rushing to his groin. Her face seemed to fill his view.  
  
"Tell me Cajun, what is the secret of your power? How did such a weak mutant come to affect me, the Mistress of the Tower, an External, one of the rulers of the world?"  
  
Remy shrank back from her, as she leaned over him. His back was pressed firmly against the soft cushion of the sofa. Suddenly his inbred charm seemed to take over. Whoever she was, she was a woman first and foremost. That meant she was susceptible to his Cajun charm. He leaned forward now, his nose nearly touching Candra's. Her eyes widened. He looked into her clear blue eyes as deeply as he could. He knew how devastating his red on black eyes could be when he was close, though that could be possibly due to his empathy. However he wasn't going to give up. His eyes glowed with passion. Not all of it was forced. Candra was a very sexy woman, and right now he was very close to her, not touching but close enough to make it as or even more potent. He looked into her eyes for a long time, drinking in every detail, taking in every fleck of color in her eyes, the slight cat like slant of her eyes. Candra appeared to be mesmerized again. This time Remy was sure it could not be his empathy. Another gleam appeared in his eyes. This time it was one of victory and amusement. However underlying it all was desire, so sharp that Remy felt it's potency as one he had barely ever felt. Only a few times with Belladonna, even fewer with Rogue. Even then they had had to work to get him this aroused. With Candra it was almost instantaneous. Perhaps the added tinge of being in enemy hands added to it in some perverse manner. Whatever it was Remy wanted her, and he knew that Candra wanted him.  
  
Candra tried to speak, but Remy silenced her by brushing his lips across hers. The sound of her soft gasp inflamed his senses.  
  
"Hush, Chere, let it go, wit de flow." His voice was pure silk velvet, smooth and smoky. He leaned forward more, until his lips were touching hers slightly. He could feel his own touching her soft ones. He spoke again, lips brushing hers as he spoke.  
  
"Wit de flow..."  
  
He moved forward just a little more slightly, his lips now pressing hers gently. Their nose tips were just touching, side by side. Candra's eyes were now only slits in her face, her golden curls obstructing any hint of her eyes. He spoke again, the words coming much more muffled.  
  
"Wit de flow."  
  
He pressed his lips against hers fully, kissing her deeply, with a frenzy born of desire. Her response was as ardent as his kiss. Her lips moved over his urgently, her hands clawing his bare back. His hands settled on her bare back. She had discarded her cloak already. Her hands grabbed the back of his head and pulled him towards her. They toppled backwards, still kissing.  
  
=========================================  
  
Eh. well. Kinda had to stop it there. Don't want this to be rated higher than R. Thanks to my writing only R rated stuff, and being damn absent minded I almost always get a shock when I can't find my fic on the page, and then realize I have to do Ratings: All. Oh well. Next chapter introduces (properly) one of my favorite characters from the AoA. Read on. Review. Please. 


	7. New Beginnings

The second of the two chapters promised. Anyway, this one is a more rounded one, as well as one that serves to bring this fic closer to the AoA. (I did notice that this fic was very different from the actual one. It was supposed to be different, but not too much. It is a redux, not a completely different thing. Well I suppose Xavier not being dead at the start was VERY different. Ahh. Who cares. Lets just say I got influenced a bit more by the actual AoA.)  
  
*~*  
  
New Beginnings  
  
Sabretooth stood in front of the abandoned warehouse. He knew who resided inside the building. He had followed the scent for a while now. This was not going to be easy. However he knew that it was something that needed to be done. He snarled slightly. The inhumans chasing after him had done their job well, though it was had not been good enough to stop Sabretooth. His healing factor had saved his hide. However it had been a close thing. If there had been more, or one of them had managed to avoid his claws, he would be dead by now. As it was he still limped slightly, and some wounds had not closed completely. The inhumans would be back, and as much as he would have liked to let the runt deal with them, he knew that he would have to lay old enmities aside to even have a hope of standing against Apocalypse. His foray into the Tower with Juggernaut had proved that he was not as strong as he would have liked to believe. He knew his limitations, he wasn't the brightest light on the block, but he wasn't completely stupid either. He braced himself and walked into the building.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Magneto stood in front of the monitor bank built into the wall. He and Charles had designed and built a lot of these small hideouts in America. They would be virtually undetectable by Apocalypse and his forces. However Apocalypses security devices had taken sudden bounds. The Sea Wall had begun expanding according to Emma and Moira, and their radar seemed to be far more advanced. They had picked up the bio signature of a mutant hundreds of kilometers away, whereas the X-men's apparatus had only picked it up when they were far closer. The mutant had been very low on energy as well. To distinguish him from a human would have been difficult unless close enough.  
  
All of the monitors showed different things. One showed a map of the world, shaded in different colors. Dark blue showed regions Apocalypse controlled. White showed destroyed areas such as South America, France and the southern part of Africa. Green showed all Human high Council areas while yellow showed all X-men safe areas. Another monitor showed the Sea Wall defense perimeter, and another the known Death Camps. Magneto's attention was directed toward the one showing the Death Camps. That was what he needed to stop. The Death Camps were of all Apocalypses' crimes the most heinous in Magneto's eyes.  
  
As he pondered over how to strike at them next an alarm sounded. An intruder was in the building. Magneto turned to the monitor that would show him who it was. It was most likely a human or group of humans who had stumbled onto the warehouse. While the streets of this town were mostly deserted, some humans still remained. When he saw the figure on the monitor Magneto's eyes widened. He heard a snarl behind him and saw Weapon X staring at the monitor with a dangerous gleam in his eyes, his lips curled back. He put a hand on his shoulder and the feral seemed to calm down.  
  
"Sabretooth. He's mine Erik."  
  
Magneto watched Wolverine unsheathe his claws. He knew of their enmity and he knew that if he tried to stop Weapon X, he would go ahead and do what he wanted anyway.  
  
"By all means, Logan. Take care of him, but Jean and I are coming as well." The telepath had mentally contacted him when she heard the alarm and she was already on her way down from the room where she was tending Piotr with Kitty.  
  
Weapon X walked out of the room. To Magneto it was clear that he was holding his rage in check. He knew that Weapon X and Sabretooth had not completed their fight when they fought in the Tower, and that perhaps it would end now. He knew that it would be necessary to put down Sabretooth.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Logan knew why Erik and Jean were coming with him. To make sure he didn't give into his rage and destroy everything around him. He walked into the main hallway of the warehouse. Creed stood in the centre of the room, a large imposing figure in a duster much like Remy's. However while Remy's was brown, his was black. His head was bent and his eyes glowed slightly in the dark. Logan knew Creed was looking straight at him.  
  
"Long time no see bub. Ya ready ter finish this?"  
  
Creed looked at him, his eyes glinting dangerously.  
  
"I'm not here ta fight runt. I'm here ta talk."  
  
Logan's eyes widened slightly. Talk? Creed? Ha!  
  
"Well I'm ready ta talk ya piece of shit. Let's finish this!"  
  
He unsheathed two claws on the side longer than the one in the middle and leapt forward. Creed met his attack and grabbed his hand. Not what Logan expected, he had thought Creed would have tried to claw at him, or tried to grapple with him, not to grab his hand defensively. Creed and defensive didn't click. Snarling he tried to pull his hand back, but Creed was stronger in terms of physical strength. However Logan knew a lot of tricks. He brought his leg up to knee Creed, but Creed blocked that as well. He couldn't block his other leg though, and Creed staggered back as Logan's boot caught him on his chest. Logan swung his metal stub at Creed. Creed ducked back, his fangs bared in a snarl.  
  
"Dammit Logan I don't want to fight!"  
  
It was Creed's usage of his name that caused Logan to pause in his attack. From behind him he could hear the sounds of Jean and Erik entering the room. Creed stood a few paces in front of him, his eyes wary, shoulders heaving as he drew breath. He stood in a guarded pose, ready to block any attack on Logan's part. Logan had never seen Creed act in this manner. Logan backed off, putting his hands down, but remaining ready just in case Creed decided to attack.  
  
"What do you want, Sabretooth?" Erik stood in front of the door he had come from. His posture and tone was menacing.  
  
Creed looked at Erik, though he kept an eye on Logan.  
  
"I've actually come in peace Magneto. Apocalypse ain't the kind of mutant it's wise to go up against alone. I found that out the hard way."  
  
Logan looked as Jean gave a nearly imperceptible nod of the head to Erik. His jaw nearly dropped open. Creed was telling the truth. He was completely sincere in the reason he gave for coming here. Logan drew back his claws. He began walking towards the door. He turned just before leaving.  
  
"This team seems to be going to the dogs. First Cyclops, now Creed. What next? Maybe Holocaust an' Sinister will be having a cup of tea with us tomorrow." The last was said with a snarl before Logan turned and walked out of the large room, leaving Creed, Erik and Jean alone.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
He had lost track of time. He had been in this room for a very long time now, from what he could judge over six hours had passed since he had first been locked in here. He felt around the room, looking for any way out, or any weakness in the structure. This was the sixth time he was doing this since he was put here. He couldn't use his powers to any effect on the walls as it had had no effect. His most powerful blast had merely warmed the room considerably. Scott wasn't using his powers anymore. Since they were fairly useless he wanted to conserve as much energy as possible for any fights once he left this prison. He had considered the possibility that he might not escape, but had dismissed that possibility. For to think that would mean to lose hope, and that meant the battle was lost already. Scott did not intend on staying here. He would break free sooner or later.  
  
Finding nothing but the same smooth surface again, Scott sank onto his knees, trying to figure out another way out.  
  
That had been an hour ago. Now he was walking along a hallway, lined with paintings of different men and women, however Scott recognized them all. They weren't just men and women. They weren't even just humans. The walls were lined with pictures of Externals. Scott looked at them almost idly; however his mind was checking each portrait to see if they could provide any insight on the owner of these pictures. The first one was of Absolom, a powerful mutant who had been in the Hellfire Club, albeit as an inactive member. He had been killed by Archanfel when the Hellfire Cub had been destroyed. The next was Saul, a powerful mutant and mystic sorcerer from the Far East, as well as one of the White Rooks. He had been killed by Apocalypse when Apocalypse had thrown a building on the Hellfire Club. The next picture, next to Absolom portrayed Gideon, a large external. He had been killed before Apocalypse had assaulted the Hellfire Club. Next was Necodemus, a benevolent looking mutant, he had been the other White Rook. He had been killed along with Saul. The next picture showed a tall and slim woman. She had a disdainful look on her coldly beautiful features. It was Galaire, one of those who had captured him. A little ahead was a picture of Burke, another External. Scott had no idea what had happened to him, except that he too was dead. A huge, powerfully built brutish man stood in the next picture. It was Astaroth, another renegade who Scott had been captured by. Archanfel stood in the next picture and beyond that one was Exodus. Asmodeus was sitting in a chair in the next picture. He looked younger in the picture, his hair only slightly wispy. He was the only External Scott had seen who looked even slightly over middle aged. A voluptuous woman stood in the next picture. Incongruously Behamen was sticking her tongue out in the portrait. Gilgamesh stood in the last picture in the hall. As Scott turned the corner though he saw a few more portraits. The first was of Candra, and opposite that was of another woman, though she was perhaps the most beautiful Scott had ever seen. Selene had been the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club, and had gone one on one against Apocalypse after he had destroyed the building. Apocalypse had been impressed by her abilities. The next two pictures were of Sammael and the man dressed in black who had been in his nightmares and in the hallway he had tried to escape from. Beyond those pictures were double doors. Above the double doors was the largest portrait, of a tall man, who was balding. The man stood with a scepter in his hand. Scott didn't know who that one was; perhaps he would be meeting him beyond the doors.  
  
The doors opened and Scott found himself in a large chamber. On one side was a seating space for five people. The other side had a large monitor bank. Directly opposite the doors he had entered were steps leading up to a throne-like chair. The man in black sat in the throne. He looked amused for some reason.  
  
"Ah, finally. I trust the accomodation was to your liking Mr. Summers?"  
  
Scott looked up at him with a frown.  
  
"Actually, it wasn't."  
  
The man in black smiled. It was fairly reasonable to assume he was an External, perhaps the leader of these renegade Externals.  
  
"I apologize about that, it was necessary to detain you. Once I tell you, you will understand why we had to keep you here to talk to us."  
  
"I'll understand better once you tell me your name."  
  
The man seemed amused again. The smile on his face didn't reach his eyes however.  
  
"I am called Nidlen Halfbane."  
  
Scott looked at him. Was he supposed to be impressed by the name? Halfbane's eyes narrowed when he saw the lack of reaction from Scott. He banged his scepter on the ground and a door by the smaller throne-like chairs on the side opened. The renegade External's walked in, eyes on Scott. This Halfbane did lead the Externals. The Externals took their seats. As Scott watched Behamen smiled coyly at him. His eyes narrowed slightly. It would be wise not to underestimate a woman like her. She would act playful, but would kill you without a second thought. He knew each of the Externals powers, it had been necessary as High-Prelate to know that, but their personalities were something that Sinister had drilled him on. Scott wondered why Sinister's portrait hadn't been outside. Or Holocausts for that matter. He brushed the thought aside; it was no use worrying over something else when a problem was facing him at the moment. Even though he had hidden any feelings from his face and posture, as he had been trained to do, he was impressed, and a nugget of fear was lodged in his heart. Facing five Externals' who had every reason to bear him enmity, and a man who seemed to lead them, who impressed Scott with his very presence, which dominated the room. Halfbane leaned back in his throne, watching Scott carefully. Scott stared back impassively, refusing to react before Halfbane did.  
  
"So, Scott Summers, have you any clue as to why I had you brought here?"  
  
Scott stared at him, then his lip curled slightly in irritation.  
  
"If I knew that, you wouldn't ask me."  
  
Halfbane smiled slightly, then his face became expressionless again.  
  
"So, you have some spirit, that is good. For what you have ahead of you, you will need a strong backbone."  
  
Scott's eye's narrowed below his glasses, but he wasn't about to let his adversary, for that is what Scott knew him to be, see any expression on his face.  
  
"I am sure there was a point to your calling me before you."  
  
"I wish you to do something for me."  
  
Scott stood waiting for him to continue.  
  
"It entails some danger, however someone of your abilities should be able to handle it with relative ease. The job will be well suited to you. In return I will help rid you of any unpleasant dreams."  
  
Scott's eye's widened considerably. This man was the man in his dream, who had woken him up. Who was he?  
  
"You have told me nothing about yourself. I don't deal with people I cannot trust."  
  
Halfbane chuckled softly. His mouth twitched slightly and then he stood up. If Scott had thought his presence was dominating when he sat, it increased tenfold now.  
  
"All you need to know is my name, Nidlen Halfbane, eldest among the living Externals, barring one. I am the shaper of a hundred destinies, the one- time wielder of the great sword 'Anolith', the power behind countless thrones in the past. I am also the brother of the dreadlord Kar' Toman Selavayne, Sammael as he is known now."  
  
The last dropped Scott's jaw. This man was a brother of Sammael's? That might have explained Sammael's obsession with finding the renegade External's, but not his desire to kill them all.  
  
Unless they had had a falling out.  
  
"You. are Sammael's brother?"  
  
Halfbane looked at him.  
  
"Yes, half-brother actually. We had the same mother. Do not look so shocked Scott Summers. There is very little love lost between us two, and it has always been so. Since either of us were born. It has been so long since that time that I do not even remember my exact age, or which of us is the elder. However, that is all irrelevant. What matter's is whether you will agree to do this job for me?"  
  
Scott stared at the External, his brain absorbing all the information he had just received.  
  
"What job? I mean what it entails. Even if I were to accept it, I would know what I must do beforehand."  
  
Halfbane sat down in his chair before answering, and even that he first ran his hands through his hair before answering.  
  
"Apocalypse moves even as we speak, his forces are rallying around him. His horsemen already roam the world, ready to strike. His armies of Infinites are too many, the processing plants churning out too many for the Human High Council or even the X-men to combat. His Reavers are massing in the Sea Walls, ready for battle. The mutant units and his human armies garrison in his strongholds. His lieutenants are ready to lead, with the mutant elite force under them. The kill-droids designed by Dark-Beast and Sinister are protecting his Tower. His death camps are always there for his culling and to provide him extra energy. Your old master is poised to take over the world, and only one person can help in stopping him. I need to find Destiny."  
  
Scott Summers looked at him, then burst out laughing.  
  
"Do you find something funny, Mr. Summers?" Halfbane's voice was cold.  
  
Scott wheezed slightly and then looked at the External again. The other Externals merely sat and watched.  
  
"Destiny cannot be found, not unless she wishes to be found. Besides, unless I miss my guess, she must be dead a few years now."  
  
Halfbane smiled again, a cold mocking smile.  
  
"Your guess is wrong Cyclops. She lives, in Avalon, refuge for the broken and desperate. I only it is in Antarctica. In a land untouched by the frigid temperature of the rest of the continent. All I know is that she is there. I do not know exactly where it is, but once you reach there, she will find you."  
  
Scott watched the Externals eyes carefully. He had to be certain that he wasn't insane.  
  
"If this is so important, why don't you do it yourself, or send one of your lackeys." He nodded his head towards the Externals. Galaire looked at him coldly, Asmodeus frowned, Astaroth growled, Behamen snarled and Gilgamesh crossed his arms and leaned back.  
  
Halfbane smiled again, looking at them.  
  
"No, they all won't be going with you. Only Galaire, for her control over the water and ice. It will be helpful in Antarctica, after all I won't want you dying before she manages to find you. Apart from that, if I send an External Destiny won't be able to detect them. We all have some natural protection against that sort of tacking."  
  
Galaire did not look happy. Scott contemplated what Halfbane said for a few minutes. If he went, he would get what he wanted, time to think about his life. Also he would be able to meet Destiny. Also if Halfbane was not exaggerating about Apocalypse, then if she could be useful, he would help them. He couldn't trust them, but if they managed to take down Apocalypse, then it would be better for the world in general. He would have to make sure that they didn't take over too much power, otherwise it would just be another conquest. He could tell enough that all of the Externals in this room were power hungry mutants, heartless and serving only themselves. It was no matter. Scott knew his duty, and he would do it. Besides, he would be rid of hjis irritating dreams.  
  
"I'll do it. However I lead between myself and Galaire, and I'll want a small team with me as well."  
  
Halfbane smiled.  
  
"Don't worry, you will lead the team, as long as you follow all the instruction I now give. Galaire will not precisely follow you; however she will go with you. In battle you will be the field leader. I will send a few people with you, none mutant though. It will not matter. I doubt you will come across too much trouble. Another thing. You must bring Destiny back with you, within a week of your arriving at Avalon."  
  
Scott nodded, then turned to leave. As he reached the door he turned to all of the Externals, looking at them slowly and carefully.  
  
"Know this; I am no one's servant. Apart from that, I want a better room."  
  
Halfbane nodded. Scott left the room.  
  
"A very dangerous young man. He has a strong will. He is a good choice. I would never have expected him to leave Essex. It shows he cannot be pushed. Perhaps he will help us bring down Apocalypse." Asmodeus stood and walked to the corner of the room, where a bookshelf stood. He took one out and began to idly go through it.  
  
The other Externals rose as well, Gilgamesh and Astaroth conversing quietly. Behamen looked slightly put out with Asmodeus's comment. However Galaire walked up to Halfbane.  
  
"What do you mean in letting him have command? I follow no mere mutant. Even an alpha class one like him. It is beneath me."  
  
Halfbane rose to his full height, looking down at her from his elevated position. His brows drew together in a scowl.  
  
"However you do follow me. Hence if I tell you to follow his command, you will obey me." His voice was icily calm; his face however scowled down at her. AS he spoke Galaire was lifted off the ground. He brought her to him, and put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I am confident you will manage to sway him to your way of thinking. You are clever, and you are powerful enough for him not to confront you when you make an issue. You also know that once Destiny is found, you will take charge, and bring both him and her back."  
  
Asmodeus turned around, and looked up from the book he was reading.  
  
"It would not be wise to underestimate him. He is a very dangerous mutant. Offhand I can only think of a few who are as dangerous, Weapon X, Magneto, the deceased Xavier, Mikhail Rasputin, Juggernaut, there aren't many more. He has nearly as much sheer power as Magneto, enhanced by those gauntlet's if I am any guess, as well as being nearly as dangerous in hand to hand combat as Weapon X. That combination puts him at their level at least. Only the External's, Sinister, Holocaust and Apocalypse are more dangerous. Oh and his horsemen of course. There is only one more mutant that is potentially more dangerous than all of those as well. Rogue. She can already fly, has massive strength, speed and is nigh-invulnerable. She can also manipulate magnetic fields, though to a much lesser extent than Magneto or Polaris. She only has to touch a mutant or even a super-powered individual to win any fight. If she can be captured she could be used to take out all our enemies. Experimenting in the right ways. hmm, Only Essex could carry out such a-"  
  
"Enough babbling. You are getting off topic Argorion. What exactly is the point of telling me all of this?" Halfbane had sat in his throne again while Asmodeus spoke.  
  
The other Externals' watched him, Galaire with open cynical amusement, Behamen with a wry grin tugging at her lips; she had always found his rambling adorable. Gilgamesh ignored him, while Astaroth shook his head.  
  
Asmodeus blinked twice then shook his head.  
  
"Old age is getting to me."  
  
This prompted laughs from all the others, except Gilgamesh. Asmodeus watched him, without taking his eyes off the others in the room. Gilgamesh wasn't fooled by his vague manner. Neither was Halfbane. Well perhaps Gilgamesh had no sense of humor, but Halfbane had known Asmodeus's tricks before his... rest, and he knew that Asmodeus wasn't as lost as he sometimes appeared.  
  
"My point was that we have no idea why Cyclops left the Tower. It is fairly certain that he is now their enemy, but not completely certain. No I am worried because we know too little about his motivations to be sure he will complete the task we have given him, or whether he is just a precursor to an attack by Sammael."  
  
Halfbane scowled at the mention of his brother than seemed to shake of the dark mood that had come upon him.  
  
"It is no matter. We shall leave here anyway. Only Galaire knows where to come and if Cyclops makes too much trouble he is to be put down. Do not worry yourself Asmodeus. It is unlikely he will renege on his word. He is the Tower's enemy, and he will help us as far as he is able. Beyond that.."  
  
He shrugged.  
  
Logan sat in the rain, water pouring down on him. He knew that he should probably get out of the rain, but at the moment he didn't really give a damn.  
  
"Yeah, caknucklehead, life's a bitch; you oughta know that by now."  
  
He crouched under a tattered tarpaulin that only gave him marginal cover from the rain. To him the rain was a symbol of the shit that his life had digressed into. He couldn't really remember his early years, only from a few years before he met Charles Xavier. Weapon X was the last thing he remembered, the days a while after he got adamantium put into him by some bastard government agency. He couldn't remember the procedure or what government agency it had been. Pretty much the only thing he remembered was the codename given to him and meeting Xavier. After a few years everything seemed to have been shot to hell. He had been leading a team to attack a death camp, when an ambush had been sprung on them, courtesy of a traitor, Guido. He had managed to survive, as had the rest of his team, barring two. Guido and Phoenix I, one of Jean's friends had been killed in the attack by the prelates. Logan had taken the death personally, and when Jean had joined the team a few years later, he had at first tried to apologize to her about her friend. She had brushed it off, but Logan could see that she had been at the edge of despair. He had helped her out of her black mood, helping to get over her pain of losing much of her family and friends in the war, as well as another boy, who Sinister had killed. He had come to love Jean, but she was much younger than him and he didn't want to hurt her in any way. Then she had seduced him, Logan still remembered that day.  
  
^ Logan sat outside the X-mansion, cleaning his hands, after doing a thorough check on his old Dina Wynne Glyde. There were only two things he cared for deeply these days, Jean and his motorbike. He was loyal to the X- men, but Jean came first, and the motorbike was his only possession. He had found it abandoned and had restored it. He sat back, drying his hands on a cloth. Jean had been acting funny that whole day, staring at him until he thought maybe there was something on his face, and kept on giving him strange looks as though she had something stuck in her ass and was trying to act the other way. He had to hand it to her, she could make him laugh. He had single handedly rescued her from a depression and he was proud of that, and of her. She was getting tougher, though he didn't want her to become too cynical and hard, not like himself. He hoped she would retain some of her innocence and sweetness. He doubted that was possible in a world where Apocalypse ruled, but he hoped anyway.  
  
He put the cloth away and began walking up to his room. It was still light outside, though it would soon become dark. He walked up the set of stairs, greeting his fellow X-men on the way. Morph changed into a large parrot and flew up next to him, squawking about Polly and crackers and something about a chest and rum. Sometimes Morph could be downright silly. Logan batted him away with a small grin. Morph changed into Logan and began walking next to him, exaggerating the perpetual frown on Logan's face and making the hair on his face longer. At that point Sean came out of his room. He took one look at them and walked back into his room, muttering about too much beer. Logan had to laugh at that. Morph looked at him in surprise then began walking on his hands. Logan gave him a friendly shove away, and walked into his own room, furthest from the rest, except Jean and Magneto's. Morph turned around and became Magneto and began walking on his hands backwards. Sean came out of his room again, took one look again and went back in holding his head in his hands.  
  
Logan closed the door of his room and turned around to find flowers strewn around his room, and music so soft coming from his bathroom that even he had to strain to hear it. He unsheathed his claws and walked up to the door. Before he could open the door and attack, it opened and Jean came out, wearing only a black jacket, black scarf and a black thong, a cap placed tilted on her flame red hair, and black cowboy boots on her feet. She sashayed forward to the music, which grew louder as she came forward. She walked up to him and taking off the scarf put it around his neck, holding the ends. Her mouth was twitching slightly, but her eyes were green pools of desire. She pulled Logan along, and he came forward, mesmerized, his claws backtracking into his hand. She took off her boots and stood on his bed. The music changed as she stood, and became a pounding beat. She swiveled on his bed, and her jacket seemed to come off. She stood there wearing only her black thong. Logan's mouth went dry with desire. He tried to look away, but couldn't. She was too. perfect. He felt himself grow aroused, he felt something in him open, something he hadn't felt since Mariko. She swayed to the music, and began pulling off her thong, till she stood in front of him, only the cap still perched on her head. He reached forward and she grabbed his arms and lay back on the bed as he bent to her.  
^  
  
That had been the start of their relationship, one that had grown stronger and stronger. They had comforted each other when their team members died; he had helped her to heal from her injuries. She had taken care of him after Cyclops had blasted off his left hand, the optic blast taking away the adamantium as well. When Xavier had died he had taken care of her. Then everything had gone to hell after the mission in which they went to rescue Psylocke. Jean had been captured and when they went to rescue her, she had fallen in love with another. Cyclops, the High Prelate who had cost him his hand, the man who had killed Xavier. Also the boy she had loved since her childhood, who she had thought dead. He had turned, apparently, against Apocalypse and his adoptive father Sinister. After the failed assault on the Tower, they had found a new ally in Helena Kahn, an ex-prelate and a childhood friend of Psylockes. Cyclops had also left the Tower, and Logan was convinced that he was against the Tower. He was also certain that Cyclops loved Jean, perhaps even more than he himself did. That's why he had let the High Prelate live. Now it seemed even Sabretooth had joined them. That was something he had never expected, that his worst enemy and a cruel and bloodthirsty killer would have joined them. Then again, he reminded himself that when they considered that Apocalypse was every mutant's enemy, old differences should be set aside, and new alliances made to overcome the common foe. Logan blinked, suddenly realizing that he had never gone on like this ever in his life. That last thought must have been the wisest thought he ever had. He shook his head. Sitting in the rain, which had now ended, he had become complacent. He could now smell the scent of death all around him. A smell he had not noticed before. Dark shapes came out of the shadows, reeking of death and decay. Inhumans, legacy of the horseman of Death, victims of his terrigen mist. Frikkin great. Logan unsheathed the claws on his hand and leapt forward, knocking one inhuman aside with his metal stub, while hacking at another. Three others converged on him. He hacked and rented and teared till only bloody corpses surrounded him. He stood there his shoulders heaving, his shirt half torn. He retracted his claws and looked down. Again the smell of decay hit him. He realized that he had stayed in this place too long. From the shadows came more inhumans, drawn by the scent of the bodies of the others. * Shit *  
  
He pulled out the claws again. However his keen eyes had calculated all the enemies. Nearly a thousand surrounded him, and more beyond that. He had barely time to wonder what so many Inhumans were doing here, before they were on him and he began to attack them. He moved like a gymnast, clawing his way above the rabid undead humans and making his way up the side of a building. His claws dug into the wall, as he slowly climbed up. However the sheer number of Inhumans was too much, and many had begun climbing on each other trying to get him. He tried to climb higher, but his metal stub prevented that. He smashed his stub into the wall repeatedly, trying to make a hole that would allow him to gain leverage. A hand grasped his ankle and he growled in anger. Suddenly a whole bunch of hands were grabbing at his legs. He kicked at them, but to no avail. He felt teeth sink into his legs and suddenly blind rage overcame him. These godforsaken creatures thought to make a meal of him. He was already pissed enough. He pulled the stub out of the wall, and his eyes glazed over. He turned and jumped off the wall, growling in rage. He fell upon the first Inhuman, decapitating him, before turning his attention to the second, then the third then the fourth. In a matter of seconds, ten Inhumans had fallen to him. However a few hundred more converged. At this point though Logan didn't give a damn. All he wanted to do was to kill them all.  
  
Jean was getting worried. Logan had not yet returned from wherever he had gone. Although he could take care of himself, she had sensed trouble. She had convinced Erik and Creed to come with her, leaving the others at the hideout to recuperate. Creed had followed Logan's scent until they had found dozens of massacred Inhumans. Logan's work undoubtedly, however the scent of them had overridden any other scent, and Creed couldn't track him anymore. They searched for him, Jean calling his name, following the path of Inhuman bodies. By now they had gone past at least a few hundred bodies, and it seemed there were many more. She tried to track Logan's mind by searching for him telepathically, but he didn't register. That either meant that he was berserk or dead. She hoped it was the former. Following the path of bodies Jean finally saw Creed perk up.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I found the runt, whadda ya know. I can hear him. He's just ahead."  
  
Creed ran forward, seeming almost excited. Jean and Erik followed, getting prepared for anything.  
  
What they didn't expect was thousands of inhumans converging on a lone figure screaming obscenities in over ten different languages. Logan stood in the thick of the fight, occasionally bodies could be seen flying overhead. Creed leapt into the fray with a growl of "I'm coming runt; ya can't have all the fun to yerself."  
  
Jean sent a few flying, while Erik raised a magnetic field to pull any with any sort of metal part in them towards him. Only a few did. Frowning he smashed them with a massive magnetic beam. Hundreds slammed into the far wall, falling to the ground and not moving again. Jean telekinetically flung away as many as she could. In a few minutes only Creed and Logan stood, tearing apart the remaining inhumans. Jean and Erik stood farther off, exhausted from using too much power. Erik was drained; he had used too much power without being able to charge completely. Jean was just plain tired. She leaned back against a wall. Creed and Logan were more than capable enough to kill the remaining Inhumans. She watched as the two enemies worked together to take down their common foe's. She smiled, perhaps they could work together. Creed had joined them to fight against Apocalypse. Things were looking up these days.  
  
================================  
  
As you may have guessed, it's Sabretooth who was one of my favorite X-men from the AoA. Well, at least with this chapter, I may have managed to bring Logan into a more central role in the fic. I'm trying to slowly integrate most of the key X-men (and those I have less trouble writing) into this fic. It started off as a simple romantic drama fic, featuring Scott and Jean, with a bit of Remy. However now its become bigger. Anyway, more of Remy in the next chapter. Plus, this story draws to a close with two massive final chapters. Am halfway through the third and final installment in this series. Then I'll write something else.  
  
Anyway, read, review and . uh. don't do drugs I guess.  
  
Will upload in a while. 


	8. The Call to Arms

Well, for all those who waited the few days I was away. Here's the next chapter., be warned though, Its really long. The next two are about as long as well.  
  
Thanks to all who reviewed me.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own em. Just some belong to me. If you like a character, just ask me before using.  
  
Beta'd by : A Lid.  
  
*~*  
  
The Call to Arms  
  
Rogue sat in her room, rubbing a hand across her stomach. She couldn't feel anything, but she knew that a child was there. Her child, her and Erik's. She had given up hope of ever having a child, much less getting married, but Erik had given her that chance, and she loved him all the more for it. She had hated turning Remy aside, she had loved him deeply, but she knew Erik was the one for her. She loved him more than Remy, and Remy had to understand that. Not that he should still be complaining, what with him and Emma Frost carrying on like rabbits. She scowled, then composed her face. She shouldn't be getting jealous. Besides, Emma was apparently done with him. The two were barely talking these days. For that matter, she hadn't seen Remy for a few days. She had been avoiding him, but she should have seen him sometime. She didn't relish the prospect of telling him about her child, she knew that nobody had told him, as per her explicit orders. She wanted to break the news to him as gently as she could. She wasn't heartless; she knew Remy might even appreciate her telling him personally.  
  
She got out of bed.  
  
No time like the present. She walked out of her room, intending to find Remy. She walked into the common room in the X-men's personal quarters on Muir Isle. She found only Emma, Bobby and Wanda there. Wanda had become very friendly with her recently, and Rogue had begun thinking that perhaps they could be a real family, albeit with Rogue playing more of a sister's role than step- mothers. Wanda was nearly her age. The good thing was both Emma and Wanda were close to Remy. Well all the women were, but especially these two. Bobby smiled as he saw her. He had once harbored deep feelings for her, but he had never acted on them, as she had been with Remy then. He had later begun to think of her more as a sister. They were now close friends. He had recovered almost completely from his injuries. Now only Sarah remained, still in a coma.  
  
"Hey, what's my favorite girl doing up and about at this time of night?"  
  
Wanda pouted at him, "Hey, I thought I was your favorite girl Bobby?"  
  
"Sorry, Wand's, but you know your mom will always be first in my book."  
  
Wanda frowned slightly at 'mom', but then smiled at Rogue to show her she wasn't annoyed by it.  
  
"Actually Booby, ah wanted to know where Remy was, ah figure he oughta be told about Erik and my baby, before he found out in anothah way."  
  
They looked surprised.  
  
"Don't you know Rogue? He's been gone for nearly two days now. He just up and left. I thought you know Ororo said to give him a day and then start worrying."  
  
Rogue stared at Emma.  
  
"He's gone? But, he shouldn't have, not at this tahme."  
  
She turned and began walking down to the communications bay. Emma and Wanda caught up to her as she walked down the hallway.  
  
"Rogue, what're you doing?" that was Wanda.  
  
"He's been gawn for two days without word, and none of ya'll told me?  
  
"Rogue, we thought you knew, sorry." Emma looked slightly contrite.  
  
"Where are you going anyway?"  
  
Rogue looked at Emma, "You're a telepath, where do you think? Ta contact him from the communications room."  
  
Emma flushed slightly and opened her mouth to say something when Ororo appeared.  
  
"By the goddess, where are you all going?"  
  
"To contact Remy, Ororo, ah didn't know he was gone."  
  
"How? He has no communication device, apart from on the jet, and he's not answering that."  
  
She paused as they reached in front of the communications room, looking intently at Ororo.  
  
"There's only one place he coulda gawn, an' that's Bella's grotto. He always goes there if he wants ta be alone."  
  
Ororo looked surprised; she had not remembered that apparently.  
  
"Of course, I should have thought of it, but Sarah was weighing on my mind."  
  
Rogue opened the frequency and attempted to contact both the X-jet and Bella's grotto. There was no reply from either.  
  
"Oh Goddess. If he doesn't answer that, it means something's happened to him." Ororo sank into a chair.  
  
"Why will he always answer that?" Emma was curious.  
  
Rogue lay slumped in her chair, worrying about Remy. He had been her charge Dammit. She had been left in command. Sort of.  
  
She answered Emma numbly.  
  
"Remy has a small device with him that lets him know when anybody is trying to contact Bella's grotto. He'll always be able to answer it. This means only that he's been caught, if not he would have answered. It either means he's captured or. no! He's not dead!"  
  
Ororo looked up and two trails of wetness streaked her face  
  
Emma and Wanda stared. They had never seen the woman lose her calm, ever. This was bad.  
  
"He is not dead, by the goddess he is not." Her voice in contrast to her face was cold and hard.  
  
"We will find him."  
  
Rogue got up and strode up to the wall. Remy, dead or captured by Apocalypse's minions. Or perhaps captured by someone else. This wasn't fair. She could tell Ororo was frantic with worry. She felt worried too. She had never stopped loving him, just not as much as she loved Erik. perhaps. He could still make her knees weak, and turn her into so much mush with a word. He had always been good at that. She still sometimes fantasized about having him again. She colored guiltily as she took control of her thoughts. This wasn't the sort of thing to be thinking about. It must be the baby she thought, she had heard that women became unreasonable and underwent sudden mood switches. She cleared her thoughts of all irrelevancies and focused on the problem as Erik had taught her.  
  
Gambit. They had to find him. The first place to go would be Belladonna's grotto. There were only two more craft that could cross the Sea Wall safely. One was the massive hybrid Jet, and another X-jet, a prototype that Erik and Logan were working on with some humans. It would have to be that. The hybrid was too valuable to lose; besides it was also very conspicuous. She had to decide who to take with her. She would have to go, she couldn't very well leave Remy in others hands. No matter what Erik said, she would be going.  
  
Ororo would go as well. That was obvious. The rest of Roulette would want to go as well, but she wouldn't take all of them. She would take Renegade, Iceman, Emma Frost; she too would want to come, and Scarlet Witch. A good team, with herself for a powerhouse, Storm, Iceman and Renegade for sheer power, Emma for telepathy and Scarlet Witch for the added boost of luck. Quicksilver would take over while she was gone. She got up and turned to the others to tell them her decision.  
  
Remy opened his eyes. He was in Candra's bedroom. Over the past two days he had been here more and more often. Candra was like an insatiable wildcat. His back bore numerous marks courtesy of her wild nature. Whenever Sinister wasn't doing weird tests to determine his mutant physiology, Candra would call him to her. In only two days she was already running him ragged. Eight times since the first time. Candra didn't have much patience in her, and she loved to play games. Oh how she loved them. She also made sure he was in a subordinate position. She always called him at first for talking to him about turning over to their side, and trying to find ways to counter his empathy. It always worked well with her. Every time she tried he could take control of the situation. Once or twice he had just grabbed and kissed her before she could say or do anything. The first time she had responded ardently, then when he broke to take a breath, she had nearly unhinged his jaw. The second time she had responded by grabbing him and pulling him into her bedroom, the first time he had gone there. She had then tied him to her bed and taken what he considered complete unadulterated and absolutely immoral advantage of him. Perhaps his most embarrassing moment. Thank God no one had been there.  
  
He brushed his hair back from his forehead. Sinister had been very amused to learn that he was sleeping with Candra. He had been surprised at first then shrugged it off. His main stance towards that was amusement now. Remy had not been amused. He hated Sinister with the very core of his being. The External knew secrets about him that he had thought long buried. Including the one that still gave him nightmares at night. His deepest and darkest secret that filled him with self loathing every time he thought of it. Candra shifted beside him. He froze hoping she wouldn't wake. He enjoyed his sex like any other man, but she was too much, and an external to boot. He felt loathing every time he penetrated her, and wild elation and desire at the same time. She shifted beside him again. He realized he was transmitting his emotions outward as he saw Candra's nipples harden below a thin diaphanous sheet. He had been shocked when Sinister had told him about it. It would have explained a lot of things, especially about why so many people had hated him when he had joined the X-men, and why only telepaths and people with strong mental blocks, such as Logan, Rogue, Erik and Moira had been the only ones to accept or take a liking to him from the start. Sinister had told him he had probably sent out his feelings of self-hatred. Also another reason why he could get women to love him, though he was charming enough anyway, Sinister had added with a wry grin. Sinister had thought it was one of the reasons his empathy worked so well against Candra. It was more of him unconsciously transmitting his emotions, not a direct empathic assault on her. Which did nothing to explain why every time she had been affected she had tried to kiss him. Unless... he brushed that line of thought away. He didn't want to think that way. Not about an enemy. He looked at her. She was very desirable, wickedly beautiful, with a firm and very curvaceous body, soft in all the right places. Her mouth was softly pouted, a perfect little bud to kiss. He saw her breathing become shallower and saw her open one catlike eyelid. She looked at him with desire burning in her eyes. He leant forward and she met his mouth halfway with her own. He bent over her. What the hell, he did want it now. Perhaps he could set a new record.  
  
Jean sat behind Erik as he and Logan maneuvered the craft through the Sea Wall. She made certain everyone was wearing a dampener. Without it any mutant attempting to breach the Sea Wall would be sensed immediately. She had seen what had become of the last group of Sentinels that had trine to cross the Wall. Hundreds of Reavers had appeared and torn the massive robots apart. That had been the last time any one other than the X-men had attempted to cross it. They were heading home, in order to equip Creed with their own equipment. He would have to be shown to know-it-all. She would enter him in her records as being an X-man, which would give him access to nearly all of what the X-men had. There was no uniform as such, but whatever weapons and other paraphernalia they had would be given to him to select from. Erik also wanted to find out more about the strange mutant they had fought the Prelates for.  
  
Jean lay back and attempted to find Scott in her head. She had been thinking about him a lot. She already missed him a lot, even though it had been only about a week since he had left Muir Isle. She had been very conscious that she had fought against his brother. They didn't look alike, except that they both had a powerful build, and their powers were similar. They both had strong jaws, just short of being too prominent, and both had straight, slightly narrow noses. She tried to locate him in her mind, and found him, a little to their south-east. He was fairly close and getting closer. Still he didn't seem to be moving. They would pass fairly close to him if they kept going this way. Her heart filled with elation, the type of which she had not felt since she had last seen Scott.  
  
She was close enough now to feel his emotions slightly. His mind was working fast, she could tell that much. He was only a few miles south-east. In a minute they would be past him. Perhaps she should go to him. She could sense his thoughts now. He was tired, sore and confused. Panic was there, but held at bay by his indomitable will. A strong sense of helplessness pervaded his emotions, but she found that even then he was thinking of her. Of course, she should have realized he would feel her as well. His thoughts brightened, but then suddenly fell into gloom and despair. He thought she was coming to him, and that caused despair? He must be in danger. She must go to him.  
  
A strong sense came from him then. He didn't want her to come. In fact he went as far as demanding she not come. Jeans eyes widened. Fear was rampant in that last thought. He was afraid that if she came she would be hurt, or worse. That meant he was in danger. She had to help him. They would soon be out of range.  
  
She doubted Erik would stop for Scott, he didn't trust him, or as far as she could tell like him very much. She would have to convince him.  
  
Suddenly Scott sent her a message. A very strong one.  
  
* Don't come now Jean. Not even all the X-men could get me out of this. However I'd like your help later. The other External's have captured me. They're using me to find the blind seer Destiny. She's in Antarctica. Prepare for a fight and come get me out of there. I'll be heading there later today. I don't know how long it will take to get there. Just follow behind and you'll find Avalon. I fear these External's mean no good to the world, and if they use Destiny, it would just be a case of one tyrant deposing another. Convince the X-men and come to Avalon. I love you. *  
  
That was the last she felt from him. Then he was gone. She could still sense him somewhere south west of her now, but she couldn't feel his emotions so strongly anymore. They were getting weaker as she moved away from him. Suddenly she was aware someone was shaking her.  
  
"Jean? What is it? Wake up!"  
  
She looked up to see Kitty looking down at her worriedly. Behind her stood Logan and Piotr also looking worried. Creed was looking at her from his seat, and she could tell Erik was worried from his tense posture as he sat controlling the jet.  
  
"Are you alright? What happened, why are you crying? You just phased out for a few minutes."  
  
Logan answered Kitty, "its Cyclops isn't it? He's nearby, and he did this? What did he do?"  
  
She could hear the anger in Logan's voice.  
  
"He's in trouble. It's, oh never mind, we'll discuss it when we get back to Muir Isle, with the other X-men. What he has to say concerns them as well." She sat back in her seat.  
  
Erik and Piotr shared a glance, one that Jean knew she wasn't meant to see. Her eyes narrowed, but she let it go. Once they realized the import of Scott's message, they would understand.  
  
Gavin and Bobby sat in the cockpit of the jet, their easy banter flowing over the others. While Rogue knew that they were worried, especially Gavin, she felt their banter was not appropriate. However she also knew that it was their way of dealing with any stress or anxiety, so she didn't say anything. They had passed the Sea Wall a few minutes ago. They were closing in on what had once been Louisiana. Apocalypse had torn the city of New Orleans apart, and built his new base there, after the Citadel had been destroyed by the Human High Council and the X-men led by Xavier and Magneto. Apocalypse's old horseman Death had died there, along with Sarek. Death had gone insane, and his Inhuman armies had laid waste to what had once been Apocalypse's grand capital. The already ruined city had been on its last legs when the Citadel had been assaulted. With the destruction of the Citadel the world had rejoiced, but Apocalypse wasn't done. Returning from the moon, where he had been recovering from the battle at Wundagore Mountain, he had demolished all of the Human high Council's warships, wounding the human High Council leader Dr. Bolivar Trask badly. Then he had sent four Externals to assault the X-men's allies. They had destroyed anyone they suspected had connections to the X-men. Rogue had been young at the time, in her teens. Her home had been comparatively untouched by Apocalypse. His forces ruled of course. However in the course of a battle with the X-men the External's Exodus and Archanfel had nearly decimated her hometown, killing hundreds of people. Her powers had already begun to show, and she had taken to avoiding people. Therefore she survived the assault and was rescued by the X-men. They had helped her escape and taken her to their base in Westchester, near the old Citadel. She had tried to learn control over her powers, but had failed till Magneto had shown her how it was possible for him to touch her. Remy had also helped her, and soon she didn't need the dampener to block her powers. She had had Erik and Xavier to thank for her control. However she had fallen in love with Erik and Remy had been hurt, badly. Even now, nearly two years later he still had feelings for her, and she still loved him, though not as much as Erik.  
  
She sometimes wished she could have both of them, but that would not be fair to Erik or Remy. She had made her choice, and she would have to let it go at that. She was happy with her choice, and she was only concerned for Remy right now. Because he was an X-man, because he was part of her team, because he was. Remy.  
  
They had reached the boundary of any detection field. The craft landed and they disembarked, looking around. Rogue couldn't really remember the way too well. However she knew Ororo knew the way. She led them onward, all of them moving silently, even Gavin and Bobby. This close to the Tower, nothing moved, not even insects could be seen. They moved forward, walking around the desolate ruins of New Orleans. Rogue looked around and found what she was looking for. A wrecked building with a small, half-torn poster of a circus on the front wall. She walked by it and found she could remember the way. She and Ororo were the only two other than Remy who knew the way, simply because of the amount of times they had been there. Rogue slightly more than Ororo. She reached the blank looking wall with the hidden lever. However instead of the wall there was now a gaping hole.  
  
"Oh no," Rogue whispered.  
  
They ran inside the grotto. Scorch marks could be seen on the walls, and a half burned card lay on the ground. Near the corner lay Remy's duster, discarded. Rogue ran to it and picked it up.  
  
"At least we know the stupid Cajuns still alive." Bobby walked up to her, still in ice form.  
  
Rogue was just standing there, holding the duster in her hands, wringing it in worry.  
  
"Let me see that Rogue," Emma said gently, taking it from her and searching through the pockets.  
  
Rogue looked around for Ororo, but couldn't see her. She walked into the next room, where Belladonna's grave was, the angel on its head seeming to look at her, as though blaming her for his capture by the Tower. Ororo knelt in front of the statue. Rogue was again filled with the peace of the room, feeling it permeate her. She knelt beside Ororo.  
  
"Fohgive me." Ororo turned to her, but Rogue was talking to the gravestone.  
  
"Ah'm so sorry, ah was careless and he got caught. Ah know ah've hurt him unbearably, and that to you that would be the worst thing ah could do. Ah'll get him back though Belladonna. I love him also, and ah won't let him die, not while ah still live. Whoever took him will have hell tah pay when ah get my hands on him." Rogue's eyes were tightly closed and her fists were bunched by her side. She stood in front of the angel, palms spread outward in supplication.  
  
"She will not hold it against you, the kidnapping I mean. We will get him back, but you are in no position to make any promises about sacrificing yourself. Your responsibilities are toward Erik and your child.' Ororo's voice was kindly but firm.  
  
Rogue flushed, but turned and walked out of the room. She took one last look at the angel and then walked out of the grotto.  
  
"I found a small communication device and a smaller locator for the X-jet he took." Emma handed the two items to Rogue. The communicator was the one that linked Belladonna's grotto to him. She turned her attention to the locator. There were many like this for every X-jet. Each would trace where the X-jet was in proximity to the individual using it. His was positioned fairly close to theirs; he must have hidden it before leaving it.  
  
"It must have been the Tower. How they found out about this is a mystery. In all likelihood they probably increased their security grid; either that or he was seen going in by a patrol, though it's unlikely. However they found out, it's not important. What is important however is that we find and bring him back. It's not likely we'll be able to sneak into the Tower. We'll probably have to go back. What do you say Rogue?" Wanda turned to Rogue.  
  
"As much as ah hate to leave him in their hands, yoah probably right Wanda. We can't get him back on our own. We'll need help, and foh that we'll have to go back to Muir ahle. We'll take the other jet as well."  
  
She walked out of the room, the others following. Ororo was the last to come looking into the room one last time before coming. Rogue could see the determination on her face, and was sure it was mirrored by hers. They would have to get back to Muir Isle and get ready to save Remy in some way or the other. She would be prepared for anything.  
  
What she wasn't prepared for was a small band of Infinites swooping down on them, led by a commander.  
  
"Oh, shit. Looks like we know how they found him, must have been a security grid increase. It's done faster than I'd have expected. Oh well." Bobby turned to ice form again and took to the skies, riding the ice waves he created. Gavin began to absorb energy, sending it out at the Infinites as fire. Rogue also took to the sky along with Ororo. Emma and Wanda remained on the ground. They would be of least use in this battle.  
  
x---------------------------- --------------x  
  
Sinister watched the radar in his laboratory carefully. He had expected some sort of search would be conducted for Remy Lebeau. He had not expected them to be so late though. He had begun to think no one would come to look for him. That would have played into his hands as well. However this way he could finish off more rebels as well. However he frowned as he saw the mutant signatures. He had expected three or four mutants, and from the group Roulette at that. These mutants were mostly X-men, with only two being from Roulette. The group he had put there to attack upon registering a mutant would not be able to deal with this group. Perhaps he should take a hand as well. He considered then decided not to. Candra would soon be done with Lebeau, and he didn't want to miss a chance for testing his mutation. Besides, he had another project to work on. He turned to the chamber where the clone was growing. He would be approximately ten human years in age by now. The celestial technology was already imparting basic knowledge to his brain. However Sinister wanted him to learn about the world himself. So that he would hate Apocalypse, and be willing to help him take him down. The other Externals thought his other plan was the true one, but in fact it was only a diversion to this plan, and a back up plan if this one failed. He had several other plans set in motion already, after all it paid to have more than one egg in the basket.  
  
x------------------- -------------x  
  
Rogue was pissed, and when she was pissed it wasn't wise for any enemy to be caught by her. She flew swiftly, knocking down three Infinites in one swoop. Around her the wind blew strongly, the lightning cracked. She smashed the third Infinite she took down into the ground, leaving a broken body. In the sky above Iceman dueled with two Infinites, moving quickly out of their fire, freezing one with one hand, while sending wave of ice at another. Renegade shot fire at another Infinite. Scarlet Witch was shooting hex bolts at any Infinite she could, taking two down before the others could avoid her bolts. Emma set her sights on the only target that would be affected by her powers. She mercilessly took control of the commander, disorienting him with a psi-blast to make taking control easier. She was better at this than anyone, including Exodus and Xavier. It had been the reason she had risen to the highest echelons of the Hellfire Club. She searched his brain to see if anything could be salvaged from the programmed husk Dark Beast had left it. Finding nothing she quickly shut off his brain, letting the body drop dead.  
  
Winds grabbed the remaining Infinites, wrapping them up and a lightning bolt incinerated them. Rogue stood from the body of a battered Infinite. She still seethed with rage, but it was lessening now. Not going away, certainly not that, but being replaced with a cold anger.  
  
"Whoevah took you Remy, he or she's dead."  
  
"I concur, but it seems wiser to leave now, whoever sent them, or made them patrol this area would be sure to know. It seems apparent that they have new security grids, or perhaps some sort of ward. Whatever it is, we are doing no one any good remaining here."  
  
"She's right; we better get back to the plane." Renegade looked around slightly nervously as he said it. He was usually very self confident and brash, much like his mentor Remy, but now that his leader had gone, perhaps dead or held in captivity, he was losing that cockiness. It was to be expected, one of his friends lay in a coma, injured by the enemy, and Remy was captured by them. Rogue realized she would need to keep an eye on him. He was nearing the limit of his self-control.  
  
They split into two teams, Storm and Renegade heading off to Roulette's X- jet while Rogue, Emma, Scarlet Witch and Iceman went to the hybrid. Rogue had told Storm privately about her concerns over Renegade, and Storm had decided to talk to him. Rogue was hopeful; Storm could be very convincing and inspiring. As she settled into her chair she pulled Remy's duster closer to her, it was all that remained of him, and she had no intention of letting it go. As she thought of him her thoughts turned toward the other man in her life. Erik would not be pleased to find out she had been gone, but perhaps he would not have retuned as yet. She hoped.  
  
x----------------- ----------x  
  
"She what!?!" Erik yelled as he sent all the metallic or semi-metallic objects into the air, including a very annoyed Logan.  
  
"She went off to search for the Cajun, he disappeared around the same time you did, taking Roulette's X-jet. Apparently they were very worried as she couldn't find any trace of him." Warren spoke quickly, knowing that Erik was in a dangerous mood. Ever since he found out about Rogue being pregnant he had forbidden any heavy danger room sessions for her, including forbidding her to leave Muir Isle. The one time she had been into a Danger Room with Pietro's help, he had hung Pietro in the air for over half an hour, lecturing him loudly. He had then made Pietro undergo a two hour long grueling session that left Pietro exhausted and with numerous cuts and bruises. That had been the last time Pietro helped her get into a session and the last time Rogue tried anything like that. Even after he had gone she had decided not to go for any session, knowing that he would find out for sure. However Erik was probably angrier than before, as this time she had gone right to the border of the tower's security grid, putting her in considerable danger.  
  
"I don't think any of us could have stopped her, father." Pietro spoke up quietly from the corner.  
  
"What is wrong with her? Doesn't she understand that she has to stay out of any potential worrying situations and stay clear of any physical harm being done to her?" He paced around the room, still unconsciously holding things in mid-air. Logan's face was getting darker and darker. Jean doubted he would attack Erik, even if he could, but she didn't want to see what happened the next time Logan partnered Erik in a danger room session. Then again if he didn't put Erik down soon, Logan would probably stick him as soon as he did.  
  
Victor stood in a corner watching the leader of the X-men, who had stood calm in front of a thousand undead killers, practically tear his hair out over the thought of his wife doing what she had been doing for nearly a decade. His face looked shocked; however he had grabbed on to something as soon as he saw Logan rise. As much as people believed him to be rather dull- witted, he was fairly sharp when he needed to be.  
  
However all of this was secondary to her. She wanted to tell what she knew of Scott's message. She was convinced it was important, but she wasn't sure if the others would believe it. Nearly all the X-men, except Psylocke, Shadowcat and strangely Logan believed he was telling the truth. Logan could usually tell when someone was lying though, so she figured he would have caught the truth in what Scott said. However he didn't really believe in the bond that she had unconsciously created between herself and Scott. No one else did, that was for certain, not even Psylocke, who had been his staunchest supporter, not that that was saying much.  
  
She knew that it would not be prudent to bring up the issue right now, though she wasn't sure how long she could delay.  
  
"Erik, calm down. Putting yourself through tension isn't going to help anything. Rogue is bloody-minded, you know that. She's a fighter and she can take care of herself. She wouldn't have stayed around while one of her team was captured. You would never have done so, therefore you can't hold her responsible." Jean's words were intended to soothe him.  
  
He turned towards her angrily, "Oh what do you know? The woman I love is gone to one of the most dangerous places for her; she could already be dead for all I know. You know nothing of knowing the one you live could be dead or dying while you are helpless to do anything!" Jean was taken aback by the vehemence of Erik's words, then she drew herself up and looked at him in the eye. Scott could be dying right now, he was in some sort of danger, she knew that much, but from whom she didn't know. For nearly a week she had lived with the constant knowledge that he was somewhere, perhaps dead, perhaps dying. She had never said anything, and tried to remain calm and steady. Now however her growing frustration broke out in the form of anger.  
  
"Do not presume to believe what I do and do not know. My own love could be dead or dying as we speak. He's in danger, that much I do know. Do not be stupid Erik, you aren't a stupid man. I think. Now stop moping about and start showing yourself to be a leader." Jean composed herself and then looked at him and said in a much gentler voice, "Rogue will be back, and you will realize how foolish you're acting. Now I would suggest you let Logan down before he decides to kill you the instant you do."  
  
Erik looked at Logan in surprise, then flushed, letting all the objects down. Logan unsheathed his claw and began to slide it across his metal stub. Pietro looked at Jean with a new respect. Not too many people had faced down an irate Magneto, except Remy, Logan and Xavier. Remy wouldn't have before Rogue left him for Erik, but Logan was usually unfazed by him, and Xavier was the only one who could ever really handle Erik when he was angry.  
  
"I'm sorry. Pietro, you and Logan take Victor to meet the other X-men and show him how to use all the different weapons and gear we have. Jean I know you have something to say, but I feel we should wait till all the X-men are here. Warren, come with me, I need to find Moira and tell her of Victor's joining us. The briefing on the new mutant we found can wait till a full meeting. The rest of you are free to go wherever you want. Just be ready for a meeting when the others return." He swung out of the room, Warren beside him.  
  
Jean watched him go. Sometimes she thought he was the pregnant one, with the way his moods changed so quickly.  
  
x------------------- -----------x  
  
The four horsemen knelt in front of their lord and master. Or rather the four holograms of them knelt in front of him. The External's watched from behind the holograms, standing facing Apocalypse. Holocaust stood a little to the right of Apocalypse. The recently arrived Rasputin also stood next to the Externals, if a little to the side. He didn't trust the immortals at all.  
  
"My position is secure, and I have been able to spread some seeds of discontent. The low key empathy powers you granted me have made that job much easier. Suspicion is rising in this city. Soon I shall have made these weak humans fight against each other." Plague stopped speaking and after a curt nod from his master, stepped back. Beast stood up, ready to report what he had managed to do. War had only said that she had not yet managed to find it. Apocalypse had known what she meant. Hers was probably the most important mission. Death had said little, merely stating that nothing had changed since his last report. Apocalypse had been satisfied by it. Beast had appeared most eager to tell what he knew.  
  
"Master," his voice befitted his name. Apocalypse was pleased with that touch. Death's voice was hoarse and wheezy, yet commanding and firm at the same time. War's voice was brisk and abrupt, yet like a cool melody at the same time. Plague's voice was cold and had a hint of malice in it. However Beasts voice was the most impressive. It was a growl deep in his throat, that sounded as though live embers were crackling deep down, which they probably were. A strange glow emanated from his mouth. His next words sent a small ripple of surprise down Apocalypse.  
  
"I have found Avalon. The blind seer Destiny is its leader. None have questioned my appearance yet. I managed to sneak aboard a shuttle heading here. Many mutants are here great lord. So is Cain Marko, Juggernaut, and an extremely powerful mutant who I only know the name of Shiro. He is pure fire, lord. He is the self-named protector of this place. I shall contrive to bring him down."  
  
Apocalypse considered this with his eyes half closed.  
  
"Do as you must to give me Avalon. With this I would be able to shatter the hopes of millions." Beast bowed to him and stepped back. They were all in human form, however behind cloaks it was difficult to tell who they may have been once, if they had been anyone at all.  
  
"Very well, you have done well. Continue to please me and you shall have high positions once this world is mine."  
  
The horsemen bowed again and the holograms vanished. Apocalypse turned his gaze to his lieutenants. It was nearly time to finish off his enemies. The other External's and Rasputin had taken the news of Holocaust's position as his second in command well outwardly. Inwardly he was sure they were stunned and already plotting ways to be rid of Holocaust. Holocaust had been pleased and had assured him that he would be worthy of the honor. Apocalypse was sure that he would be worthy. He was still too self- confident and believed himself infallible. His only weakness was his impatience and his eagerness. It would get him killed. He underestimated his opponents too much. However he had cause to underestimate his opponents. Not even he could release such vast amounts of energy. Holocaust had flattened Rio de Janeiro by himself. If he could be trained properly he would be great. He also lacked some ambition. He was completely loyal to him, which meant that he would never seek to remove him for power for his own benefit. Apocalypse had no such illusions about his other lieutenants. They all schemed to gain higher positions, to eventually oust him and rule in his place. The first Death had been the first to attempt it, and he had been destroyed, though it was because of himself. He had been mad. He had cost Apocalypse a lot of time and resources. A lot of valuable celestial technology had perished with the Citadel. As a result he had to strip ship of nearly half its technology to place in the Tower. If the X-men had not killed Maximus, he would have done so himself.  
  
"I have summoned the Prelates here, as well as Dark Beast, Shadow King and another operative that you all know. Pierce too shall be coming as well as the leader of my Infinites, Rictor. They are not too important, but must know some part of my plan if they are to proceed accordingly."  
  
They only had to wait a few minutes.  
  
The Shadow king was the first to arrive, his presence only announced by a sudden darkening of the region near the corner of the room. Apocalypse looked at him right off, as did Exodus and Sinister. The only beings with any telepathic powers in the room, Exodus and Sinister knew where to look. The Shadow King bowed to Apocalypse then withdrew into the shadows, where only two pairs of gleaming eyes could be seen. The next to arrive was Dark beast, followed by the Prelates and Rictor. All the prelates bowed to Apocalypse, as did Dark Beast. Rictor was so shocked at being called he bent lower than any others. Apocalypse stared at him without any expression. He was weak; once his usefulness was ended he would have to be killed. As Rictor finally rose, the other Prelates entered followed by Pierce. The Externals in the room stared at the other Prelates, as did the Tower's Prelates and Rictor. Dark beast seemed to be surprised for a minute then became contemplative. Sometimes Apocalypse was not too sure how sane he remained.  
  
Finally the last of them arrived, a man in a cloak. Apocalypse wanted to reveal him at the end. "Many of you must be wondering why I have summoned you here. You are all to know that the time is at hand. The world must be cleansed of all weaknesses. Recent events have made me realize that I must strike now."  
  
The others all took heed of his words, including Rictor. Everyone except Rictor and Dark Beast knew he meant to start now anyway.  
  
"However, you must first know each other. Therefore I must introduce you all."  
  
He walked to the Sea Wall Prelates.  
  
"These are the Prelates from the Sea Wall. They have done well so far, and are worthy, somewhat, of the title."  
  
He indicated each as he spoke. He pointed to the bedlams first, who were in light-blue gray colored armor, with a darker blue colored uniform underneath the armor. They both wore huge gauntlets and large boots. "These are the Bedlam brothers."  
  
He next pointed to Erik the 'red'. He wore a red uniform, with lighter red armor. A red mask covered his face completely, with two horns sweeping towards the front from the back. Small spines clung to his elbow armor.  
  
". and this is Deathbird, the Arch-Prelate, and along with Havok, to be the commanding Prelate."  
  
Deathbird was a tall woman, perhaps alien, who was covered in purple armor. The parts not covered, her midriff, thighs and arms, were bare. Her skin color was a soft golden-bronze. Jagged spines sprung from her gauntlets and boots. Wings were attached to her gauntlets; however they seemed almost alive when they moved.  
  
Havok seemed a little disgruntled at having to share command over the Prelates. His promotion had been done so that his confidence would be bolstered, and the other Prelates would find it easier to deal with someone they knew. However he was a little too ambitious. He bore watching. He turned at last to the cloaked stranger. Only Dark Beast knew of his existence.  
  
"This is my covert operative. He has long been my ally. He too shall now lead in the battle. He has proven to me that he is strong."  
  
As he spoke the man revealed his face. Again he had to commend the Externals on their lack of expression. The only visible show that they had recognized Sebastian Shaw and were surprised was in a slight widening of Sinister's eyes and Candra shifting her weight. Exodus was still, but his mouth tightened very imperceptibly. Even watching for it Apocalypse nearly missed it.  
  
Sammael showed no reaction; then again Apocalypse was sure Sammael might already have known. His eyesight was nearly as keen as his own was, and he could have seen who he was easily when he first arrived.  
  
Apocalypse walked to his throne and faced them.  
  
"Now you must all be prepared for the final battle against the X-men and Human High Council. They have long been a thorn in my side. Already the roots of suspicion are being planted in their minds. Soon they will be divided enough for my plan to work perfectly. The weak shall be destroyed, the strong separated and made stronger."  
  
x--------------- -------------x  
  
Rogue was back and everyone knew about it. The two jets landed. The whole of Roulette not counting Sarah was there, as well as Helena and Logan. Rogue came out of the first plane holding onto a duster. Looking at it and Rogue's face Logan's heart fell. Shit no, Gumbo can't be dead; Logan brushed the thought aside. Bobby, Emma and Wanda came out of the prototype jet, while Ororo and Gavin came out of the Roulette-jet. The whole of the assembled X-men ran forward, leaving Logan behind with Helena. She walked up to Betsy. Logan watched as Wanda announced what they had found out.  
  
It wasn't as bad as he had thought, it may even be worse. Gumbo wasn't dead, but he had been captured by the Tower. Logan clenched his fist. The goddamn Tower had done so much in two weeks. Xavier had been killed; they had captured Betsy and then Jeannie. Sarah had been put into a coma. Even the Human High Council had felt the Towers brutality. In the assault only nearly a thousand soldiers had died. Out of all that had been transported in the Hybrid, only half had made it back. The Sea Wall was a more than adequate defense mechanism.  
  
Betsy was being comforted by Helena; Ororo stood by Gavin, her hand on his shoulder.  
  
Mystique stood back, a little aloof from all the rest. Logan was never sure what she was doing in Roulette. She was not very attached to any of them except Sarah. Then again Gumbo had saved her life. Perhaps that was why she remained. She and Nightcrawler didn't get along too well these days, especially after she joined Roulette, after repeated entreaties by him to join the X-men. She was also their only contact to Destiny. She had known Destiny, indeed had loved her a long time ago. She still disappeared at intervals to do some 'meditating' she called it.  
  
Logan looked towards Rogue, standing a little off to the side of the other X-men. She still held the duster in her hand. He walked over to her.  
  
"Hey Rogue? You alright-." He never got to finish his sentence as a shout of "Rogue!" was heard and Erik came running, the rest of the X-men arriving behind him. Erik ran up to her, immediately grabbing her by the shoulders, and shaking her.  
  
"You crazy little. idiot! What's the matter with you? You're pregnant woman! I told you to stay here and you deliberately go to . to the bloody Tower practically. Are you insane? Do you have any idea." He broke off as he saw that she was crying as he shook her.  
  
"Oh, Rogue I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shake you so much, it's just that I was so worried, what with you running off to find."  
  
He then noticed the grim looks on everybody's faces, and the duster in Rogue's hands. She looked up at him her eyes brimming with tears.  
  
"He's not.?"  
  
Rogue stared at him then blinked back the tears.  
  
"No! He's not dead, he can't be." Then she buried her head in his chest. Erik held her close, and began to smooth her hair backward, stroking her.  
  
"It's alright love, you know Remy's a fighter, he won't allow himself to be beaten by the Tower. Neither Jean nor Betsy were beaten by it, and Remy won't be either."  
  
Rogue looked up at him.  
  
"What I hate most is that I ignored him the last few days. He was driven away because all of us were so mean to him."  
  
Ororo flinched as Rogue spoke. Logan hadn't noticed that the women were ignoring him. Even Wanda looked a bit abashed, as did Emma. No wonder the poor guy ran off. The man lived off his conversations with women, and if even Ororo wasn't talking to him. poor guy.  
  
Erik looked at the assembled X-men.  
  
"We'll be having a meeting in ten minutes. One of you please find Moira. She should be here by now. She was due back from Eurasia yesterday."  
  
He sat with Rogue, trying to console her. Logan put his hand in his pocket and walked away.  
  
Jean sat in her chair, watching Rogue give an account of what she had found. Most people reacted to it angrily. She wondered for a second what they had been like when she had been captured. Trying to rescue Remy was out of the question. The Tower would chop them apart at this stage. Moira made it clear that the Human high Council were against another attack on the tower. In fact many of them were trying to negotiate a peace treaty with Apocalypse. Jean nearly snorted at that; Apocalypse would never give 'flatscans' any peace treaty. Unless they were all under his control. Logan wasn't so well mannered. He laughed aloud, and Erik fixed him with a disapproving look. Most other X-men looked dubious as well. As Moira stopped speaking she waited for anyone to add anything to the topic at hand. No one said anything, and she began speaking before anyone could say anything else.  
  
"If I may speak," she waited for Erik to close his mouth and nod almost in a surprised manner.  
  
All X-men could speak when they wanted. Jean took a deep breath and continued, she knew there would be resistance.  
  
"On the flight back from America, I received a telepathic message from Scott, who was near us at the time. He was in danger, and I wanted to help him. However he warned me against it, telling me instead what he was involved in." the others were watching her, more than a few faces showing their skepticism already. She continued however.  
  
"He told me that the Externals who oppose Apocalypse had captured him and that they were going to use him in a plan to capture Destiny, from Avalon. He told me that they knew its location." The others stood up at this, however many still looked skeptical. Warren looked openly disbelieving. Jean also noticed Raven's sudden rigidity.  
  
"He asked me to follow him with a team, keeping track with the psychic bond we share. He said they would kill him once they had her, and that if they came into power using Destiny's help, it would be little better than Apocalypse." The others all remained silent, then Warren burst out laughing. Jean stared at him angrily.  
  
"You must be joking Jean. An ex-Prelate, the High Prelate at that, tells you through a 'bond' that you somehow have with him that he's going to Avalon, and that the other External's want to use him to overthrow Apocalypse? That's the most stupid sort of bait anyone can give for a trap.  
  
Does he really believe we'll fall for this?" Warren was looking more annoyed now.  
  
Jean opened her mouth to speak, but then Piotr spoke up, "Warren tovarisch is right. It must be a trap. If one set rather stupidly." He looked uncertain, but then he was a usually careful man, less so since he got engaged to Kitty, but still very cautious.  
  
"Bobby sneered openly, as Warren had done, "He must be crazy, thinking we'll fall for such an obvious trap. I think he has some kind of hold on you Jean, what makes you think he could be telling the truth?"  
  
Jean folded her arms, a sure indicator that she was getting angry.  
  
The next to speak out was Moira, "He is a traitor to all mutants, and I still believe he should be hanged. He killed Xavier, he is using you Jean, to get at the X-men." Jean was slightly taken aback at the venom in Moira's voice.  
  
"I don't think Cyclops is lying. He did not strike me as a dishonorable man. He would not stoop so low. He's done some nasty things, but he always respected his enemy, and he was never vicious in any of his attacks. I saw what he was truly like when he tried to question me in the hours before you arrived to rescue me."  
  
Many X-men looked at her in surprise, including Helena, who was also at the meeting. "I think he had changed. He loves Jean, It's kinda obvious, even if you all can't see it, but he also struck me as being a clever guy. I don't think he would set such an obviously stupid trap." Kitty blushed as all the people looked at her, including a frowning Piotr.  
  
The other X-men began arguing, most of them were certain it was a trap. Jean looked at Logan, who slouched in his chair, staring at the chaos. Victor, the newest X-man sat next to him, looking slightly bemused. He had had that look since he arrived.  
  
Erik also sat watching, but he watched Jean, not the others, his eyes narrowed.  
  
Finally the others quieted down as Erik spoke.  
  
"I think that while Cyclops would not be so stupid, it can only be a trap."  
  
Jean stared at him in anger and shock. How could he believe it was a trap?  
  
"It isn't. None of you are seeing what's important. The other External's obviously have a plan. If they accomplish their plans, they may be able to dethrone Apocalypse."  
  
The X-men looked at her. Erik spoke.  
  
"That isn't too bad a thing from where I sit Jean."  
  
Jean nearly snarled in frustration. Scott's message hadn't been too clear on specifics, but one thing it had held was fear and concern over the External's achieving their goals.  
  
"You're missing the point. If the other Externals' dethrone Apocalypse, that's good. But they're just going to take his place, and if what Emma says they did was even half hearsay, then it may even be worse than Apocalypse."  
  
Erik spoke again, his voice getting heated.  
  
"If they fight each other, that will make it easier for us to step in at an opportune time and take them out with ease."  
  
"Oh! For Gods sake Erik listen to yourself! These Externals aren't the ones we're used to, and even their actions are hard to predict. At least with Apocalypse we have a good guess at his strengths and at least we know where we stand with him. The other External's may even offer us friendship and betray us later. Who knows what their strengths and weaknesses are. They could be hiding things. Scott's message made it clear that he's worried, very much so."  
  
Erik scoffed at that.  
  
"So it's back to him again. We all agree that he's not to be trusted, not entirely. He is the enemy Jean, and I can't believe something the enemy says. For all we know this could be trap set by the other Externals."  
  
Jean stared at him in shock and anger. She never expected him to take this stance.  
  
"I know what's wrong. You're jealous of him. He was a far better tactician than either you or the Professor was. You can't stand it that someone else could so easily hunt down the X-men, especially one that you were part of. It's pathetic Erik." Jean was seething with rage and fury. A person could only handle so much,. And she had had enough of people thinking Scott was an enemy and refusing to believe her. It came down to not believing her.  
  
Erik looked at her stonily. He rose from his chair in anger. The other X- men were silent. Jean was aware of the others looking at her in shock.  
  
"You do not know what you are saying Jean. If I were you I would not continue on that line of thought. It could be unpleasant." The implied threat was there. Jean wouldn't take anymore.  
  
"Oh shut up Erik. You think you can threaten me? It all boils down to one thing. If you don't trust Scott, you don't trust me."  
  
The others were all taken aback, now more so than before.  
  
"Maybe you're right Jean. Maybe we don't trust you anymore. The way you go on about him and the way you talk about a psychic link. Maybe you've been converted by the Tower and are working with him against us."  
  
Jean stared at him stunned. They didn't trust her.  
  
"Is that right? You don't trust me?"  
  
Logan was the first to answer.  
  
"Don't' be ridiculous Jeannie." He was followed by Betsy and Kitty, and Ororo soon after that. Kurt spoke up as well, as did Raven. However the others hesitated just too long.  
  
"I see. Only a few of you trust me. I guess that settles it. You don't really trust me. I wouldn't have expected this, I guess Scott was right." She suddenly blinked back tears. She would not cry in front of them. She turned and ran out of the room.  
  
She left a stunned silence behind her. No one could have expected this to happen. Logan snarled and banged his metal stub on the wall.  
  
"Now look what you did. Yer all fools all of you. Pathetic. She would've given her life for any and all of ya. She would also trust ya with her life. To find ya don't trust her. that could have broken her, shattered her. Ya disgust me!" Logan growled once more and then walked out of the room, Victor hot on his trail.  
  
Kitty punched Piotr's arm and said something angrily in a whisper. Ororo looked completely worn down.  
  
"By the goddess, what we just did was not right." She sank into her chair and put her head in her hands.  
  
Betsy remained sitting as well, next to Helena. She looked physically ill. She would never have believed it, but it seemed as though the team was being split. Raven excused herself and went after the others. Kurt looked at her quizzically then ran after her as well.  
  
Erik stood with his head bowed, his palms flat on the table. Moira looked at him worriedly. He spoke then, "This meeting is done. Leave all of you." The others stood and left, leaving behind Erik and Rogue.  
  
Rogue could hardly believe what had happened. She had been too confused to understand what was going on, and by the time jean asked her question she had taken too long. She still remembered the hurt and on Jeans face and the pain in her voice. The X-men were her only family, and they had just betrayed her. She was just protecting the man she loved, Rogue could sympathize with that. She felt slightly irritated when Jean had insulted Erik, but Erik was older, and he should have known better.  
  
They should all have known better.  
  
Jean sat in her room, crying on her bed. She barely noticed the door opening and footsteps coming in. Logan stood next to her, and then sat on the bed. He put her hand on her shoulder and she gripped it, trying to reassure herself. He picked her up and hugged her. She cried on his shoulder and then moved away.  
  
"I'm sorry Logan. I didn't mean to, I mean, I don't want to give you the wrong idea." She trailed off. He smiled at her, to reassure her. He badly wanted to feel her in his arms again, but he knew that she loved Scott. He wouldn't do that to her. Not upon everything else.  
  
Victor stood outside the room, and the others filed in, Kurt and Raven, followed by Sean. Sean had not been at the meeting, and he heard what happened. He had rushed from the infirmary to her room. He was extremely angry at the way she had been treated. He cursed Erik for being all kinds of a fool. He had been impressed by Scott, and he wasn't easily impressed. He had been one of the few who had spoken up for him, even though he hadn't met him till he joined them on the hybrid after they escaped from the Tower.  
  
He walked up in front of Jean and knelt in front of her.  
  
"Jean, I just want you to know, I trust you with my life, and I hope you know that. You're a valuable X-man, and I wouldn't want to lose you. Erik was just being stupid. We all trust you." Jean cut him off.  
  
"No. What's done is done. They don't trust me. well I don't give a damn then. I'm leaving. Scott was worried, extremely so. One way or another I'm going to help him."  
  
Logan put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Ya know I'm at yer back Jeannie."  
  
Victor walked up to her and stood before her.  
  
"I ain't known ya that long either Jean, but I'm with ya too. Ya were the first to believe in me, and besides, I can't leave Logan alone. He'd go an' die on me, and then who'd I have left to kick ass from time to time."  
  
Logan grinned devilishly at him. The two were getting along quite well for sworn enemies.  
  
"I too am with you. You will need a guide to Avalon, I can take you there."  
  
Jean looked at her in surprise.  
  
"If she goes, zen she vill need somevun to take care of her. I too shall accompany you."  
  
Jean looked at the dark blue mutant gratefully.  
  
Sean hesitated for a second, then added, "I can't let ye go off withou' a proper gentleman helping ye. Ye can count me in too Jean."  
  
Jean smiled at them through sudden tears. Perhaps she hadn't lost a family at that.  
  
"We go then. As soon as is possible. And not a word to the X-men." Jean found it wasn't too difficult to think of the X-men as being another team. Perhaps she hadn't.  
  
===========================================================  
  
Ok. SO the X-men have split up. All because of Scott. Bad Scott. Of course, we all know it's not a trap. Or is it? Maybe it wasn't Scott who sent the message. Maybe it was. Ah, why the hell am I being cryptic?  
  
Two more chapters for this fic, and then an epilogue.  
  
Next chapter: Things get hot, as the teams are now split up, and Scott is heading for Avalon, where he has to capture the seer, Destiny.  
  
Meanwhile Remy still suffers at the hands of Sinister and well, sort of, Candra. Plus, where are Apocalypse's horsemen?  
  
All that and much more revealed in the next chapter. Stay tuned, Same .. X- time, same X-channel.  
  
Nana nana nana nana, X-men! Ok.. 


	9. In Avalon

Ahhh, the next to last chapter of this part of my three part fic. How. kewl.  
  
Well, for all those who've been reading, thanks a lot. It means a lot to me. Seriously.  
  
For those of you who reviewed me. Thanks a million! I'm touched every time I'm reviewed. While I don't write only for reviews, they do inspire me to write more. Sort of a motivator when I'm feeling lazy.  
  
Anyway. Here you go.  
  
*~*  
  
In Avalon  
  
Scott stood in front of the closed door of the helicopter. It was a big one, with enough capacity for nearly a hundred people. Only twenty occupied it at the moment; eighteen humans, Galaire and himself. He looked over the mercenaries that Halfbane had provided him with. They were a hardy lot, used to fighting. Considering the world these days, Scott wasn't really surprised. What he did find amusing was the fact that these people had no idea that they weren't to live once Halfbane had achieved his goals. They still thought Galaire was Halfbane's assistant, the only one in the group who knew Destiny by sight. Of course, they didn't know that she was a mutant, at that an External, among the most powerful mutants. They suspected he was though; he even caught the mercenary leader looking at him quizzically at times, as though trying to place him. He had never seen the man before, though he had seen so many humans that it was irrelevant whether he had ever seen him before. The man probably saw him when he was High-Prelate or Prelate. The gauntlets and tube as well as two day beard growth probably put him off. He was also not in his normal armor; Halfbane had provided him newer armor. It was yellow in color, and much like his Prelate outfit, a band of armor crossing his chest diagonally right to left, to connect to large yellow shoulder armor, which connected to armor covering his bicep and finally his purple gauntlets. He still retained his purple boots. Like in his Prelate outfit, his right arm was bare except for the gauntlets. He wore a black colored polymer-fibre type of outfit under the armor.  
  
Not as daunting as his High Prelate armor, but comfortable and familiar all the same. He uncrossed his arms and looked at Galaire. The woman wore the same type of clothes he had always seen her in. A low cut silky material made gown that came down to her legs. Beneath that she wore a blue silk blouse and leggings made of some material. She wore lightly armored boots though, with high heels. A strange outfit, but then she didn't need any protective armor. Even if she was traveling to the Antarctic. She wouldn't feel cold. She wore light blue glasses that hid her eyes minimally. She looked up to meet his gaze. He snorted softly and turned away to study the ground far below again. She had given a minimal impression of following his orders. Half the mercenaries had made comments about her that she had ignored. He didn't doubt she would exact a punishment sooner or later.  
  
His thoughts turned to Jean. She was still somewhere north of him. If given a ship he could have gone straight to her, but he couldn't place her in latitudes and longitudes. He hoped she had gotten his message, and had convinced the X-men, or at least some of them. He wasn't naïve enough to believe the X-men would believe something he said. Half of them probably still thought it would be best to kill him off. Not that they would be half wrong he thought bitterly. His life was a joke, a life full of being manipulated. First Sinister, now Halfbane. He had vowed to himself the minute he realized Halfbane wanted to use him; he would kill Halfbane, and the rest of the Externals. That much he would see to before he died. He had long questioned himself about the cullings and the Infinite processing, as well as experiments Dark Beast carried out on 'flatscans'. At least the Dark Beast shouldn't be a problem. He doubted the creature had survived the beating Jean administered on him. It would have been enough to kill him in his armor, and even Colossus could do just enough damage with a single punch to dent it. He shook his head. Better not to dwell on the past, not with potential enemies surrounding him. He turned to stare at the mercenary leader. He had a leanly powerful build, with an eye patch over one eye. He wore military fatigues over a black vest. Russian military fatigues. It was possible that he had been in the old Russian army, and was a survivor of the united world's battle against Apocalypse. Now the only nations were Eurasia and Apocalypse's empire in North and Central America. The man spoke with a barely minimal Russian accent. He couldn't recall his name. He gave the mercenaries the commands, while he ordered him. It suited Scott.  
  
Below the endless expanse of ocean finally became a solid sheet of white. The still hadn't reached Antarctica, but they had reached the ice shelf. Avalon should be a little over fifty miles to their south east now. He saw Galaire say something to the pilot, who nodded and changed direction. They were now headed for Avalon. Scott went over to the mercenaries.  
  
"Do you all remember the plan?" The men spoke to each other in militaristic terms, but Scott tried to phrase his questions as basically as possible.  
  
They all nodded. Scott nearly sighed. They barely ever spoke, except to themselves or to their commander.  
  
"What's your name?" The commander turned to look at him.  
  
"Call me Vazhin." Scott stared at him. Vazhin stared back meeting his gaze evenly. However he was staring slightly to the left of Scott's eyes. Scott nearly grinned. There were some small good points to having a visor. For example he had not been looking at Vazhin for a few seconds now, but the man still continued to look at where he believed Scott's eyes to be. Scott hadn't moved his face, so it seemed that he was also looking at him. It was childish. However he continued looking at others while pretending to look at him. He noticed one of the men turning the safety of his weapon on and off.  
  
"Stop that. Be easy man, don't panic." The man looked startled. Even Vazhin looked startled. The man was to Scott's right. Scott let a grin touch his face slightly.  
  
Galaire turned to him.  
  
"Avalon lies ahead."  
  
Scott turned and saw only mist. He peered into the mist trying to make head or tail of what was in there. As far as he could tell, only ice and snow lay ahead. However suddenly on Galaire's command the helicopter dropped. It kept on going down, more and more slowly. The men did not have Galaire's ability to sense the element of water around them, and could therefore not tell what was below them. Suddenly the mist cleared and Scott saw himself looking down at a plateau completely devoid of ice. To Scott it was all red, however he realized that after the ice it must be a whole panorama of color. The man stared silently in wonder. Scott heard Vazhin mutter an oath in Russian. He clapped his hands in a 'hut hut' fashion. The men rose quickly, slinging their weapons onto their shoulders and taking off their heavy jackets. Scott had told them to wear jungle suited fatigues, but they had insisted on bringing the jackets, now Vazhin threw his off angrily and pulled two rifles, slinging them onto his shoulders, putting a couple of handguns into his dual holsters strapped onto his ribs. He pulled out a machete and put it between his teeth.  
  
Scott stared at him. He looked like a lunatic. Vazhin grinned at him, looking even more psychotic with the machete gripped between his teeth. The others all pulled on a rifle each and a handgun. A couple of laser Gatling guns were tied to parachutes and one large RPG. The mercenary's all jumped off one by one, Vazhin leading. Finally Scott jumped down, Galaire right behind. They were to land and secure a landing area for the helicopter. Scott landed as efficiently as the mercenary's and readied himself for any attack. The mercenary's were already working fast, the Gatling gun's were free and the RPG was nearly so. Vazhin led a team into the surrounding trees to scout for possible danger. Scott remained with twelve mercenaries. Galaire landed a little awkwardly, she would have preferred using her powers to summon a jet of water to help her land, but Halfbane had told her not to use her powers in front of them unless necessary. Scott figured necessary meant until she was in danger or she was to kill them, probably him included. That was his only advantage, as Galaire could probably kill him easily, he had never fought an External one on one, and if the External's he knew were anything to go by she had massive control over her power.  
  
The helicopter landed and the pilots switched off the craft. It would be ready to take off any time it was necessary. The size of the thing and the sound it made meant that it must have been noticed. He figured it was only a matter of time till someone attacked them. Destiny would have some sort of protection. If not she was a fool, and from Scott knew about her she was anything but.  
  
He could still feel Jean, however it was somehow dimmer. He could always tell where she was, however now he wasn't too sure whether she was to his north or south. It must have something to do with the protective mist above Avalon. He turned his gaze to the mutant haven. It didn't seem too much of a haven so far. Too many tree's and it was quite hot. However a wind blew and the sun did shine down. That meant that the mist wasn't everywhere. Unless it was some sort of strange phenomenon. He shrugged and continued to make a survey of the land around him.  
  
x---------------- --------------x  
  
Remy walked silently alongside two guards. They were escorting him to Sinister's laboratory, after a night spent with Candra. The guards must have been curious, however they were like Infinites, possessing of limited intelligence, however they still looked human. He figured Dark Beast or Sinister had tampered with their mind in some way. Already Sinister had figured out that he had some sort of block on his powers. He wondered what that was. He shook his head. He had been in the Tower for nearly a week now. He had to leave. The others would be worried and he hoped that they didn't get it into their heads to try and rescue him. The Tower would crush them easily, if the defenses he had seen were anything to go by. Both Candra and Sinister had laughed at the idea of the X-men attacking the Tower. Apart from two guards; the two with him right now, he had yet to see anyone else. He figured if he showed himself to the other External's they would probably crucify Sinister and Candra. He would probably end up dead, or sent to the Dark Beast for conversion, which he would rather die to avoid. He had seen what one visit to him had done to Jean. Then again perhaps the others knew about him anyway, and he would only be watched more strictly. Sinister and Candra kept him alive, and they knew it damn them.  
  
He stepped into the laboratory and looked around warily.  
  
No one was in the main laboratory, or in the second room where he was experimented upon. He still had no idea what Sinister did, except once he had used needles which had hurt like a bitch. He still pressed his hand to his head occasionally, just the mere memory of them enough to hurt. Candra had been amused and had taken great pleasure in pressing his head at odd intervals. She had once done it when he was. aghh, he didn't even want to remember that. He saw another door, partially open and went inside. The room was brightly lit and Sinister stood in front of a large glass chamber. Inside stood a boy, perhaps age sixteen or seventeen, completely naked, sleeping in what looked like water. Remy felt appalled. He could guess what that boy was. He was probably a clone of some sort.  
  
"So Sinister, dis is how you get your kicks hein? Ye like young boys."  
  
Sinister whirled around furiously. His hands were raised to attack whoever had dared to invade his sanctum. Well Remy didn't give a damn at the moment.  
  
"Lebeau, I should have expected you. Disregard what is behind me. It is of no consequence."  
  
Remy stared from him to the boy. The boy looked like someone he had seen before. Not him, he would have fainted dead away had he thought he was making clones of him.  
  
"C'n ye explain, sil 'vous plait, what de fuck dat is?" Remy spat out the question. He didn't care if Sinister killed him now. He would make sure that the boy did not have to suffer the fate of being brought up by the likes of Sinister.  
  
"Language Lebeau. Perhaps you need to suffer a little more."  
  
He came forward and grasped his arm. Remy resisted for a second, and at Sinister's quirked brow let him drag him wherever Sinister wanted. Sinister was strong enough to drag him anyway. Sinister took off his dampener and put him in the chains. He couldn't use his powers, however he needed to find out some way to use the fraction of a second before Sinister manacled him and after he took off the dampener.  
  
Then he felt a helmet fall over his head and a dark shade placed before his eyes.  
  
"It's a pity you need to be taught a lesson Lebeau. I have only used this helmet against Scott when it was necessary for me to use it in order to develop his glasses and later his gauntlets. I could do away with the negative side effects, but it would take quite some time, and I find that the person who wears it is more, shall we say, amenable to my requirements."  
  
Then Remy felt numbing pain flow through him as he felt every single hurt he had ever taken in one long moment. He screamed as memories came to the front of his mind. He could again see clearly the moment when Sinister threw Belladonna off the top of the assassins Guild building. He could feel the anger, despair and terror as he saw Belladonna fall. He relived seeing the bodies of Henri, Jean-Luc and Tante Mattie. He relived the horror of that night, again and again. He felt the horror and confusion as he realized he had killed a man, even if it was one of the enemies. He felt the shame and despair when he found out his friend was dead, dead because he couldn't stop to save her. He relived Rogue leaving him again; leaving him for a man he had considered a friend and mentor. He felt the deception and heartbreak again and again. He relived the feeling of realizing that he couldn't save Sarah's parents, as the Morlock community was hunted down and killed by the mutant unit he had joined. He remembered the shame and disgust he felt when he found the crying young child. The most horrible events of his life, they swept around him again, coming with increasing frequency, magnified by the pain he felt as every blow he had ever received came back. Bella dying; pain. Rogue leaving him; pain. His family's bodies, lying on the ground; pain. Sekhmet dying; pain. Finding Sarah next to her parents bodies, that he failed to save; pain.  
  
Remy screamed his pain out for the world to hear, uncaring.  
  
Sinister watched with a pleased smile on his face.  
  
x-------------- ---------------x  
  
Jean looked around her. The way was clear. They would take the new ship, the one made of plastic. Erik wouldn't be able to stop them that way. Sean was gliding slightly to the top right of her, in his uniform, they wouldn't be needing clothes where they were going. She was in her uniform as well. Behind her Logan walked quietly, Victor right next to him. Kurt was somewhere ahead, and Raven was literally a raven, sitting quietly watching the hangar. Nothing. She heard a small bamf sound, then saw Kurt standing next to the prototype, opening the door. He walked in and after a few seconds she saw him in the cockpit. They began to move quickly as Raven fluttered her wings, the signal to move.  
  
They quickly boarded, just in time as they heard Raven caw and fly of her perch, swooping into the craft. She transformed and ran to help in the cockpit. Sean closed the door quickly. She heard the engine whine softly and then they were hovering above ground. She saw Erik running towards them from above, his face a mask of rage. Rogue ran behind him, his cape blocking any other. Both Rogue and Erik took to the air, Ororo standing behind, doing nothing. However they weren't fast enough. Erik tried to close the hangar doors quickly, but they had escaped, flying free into the air. Raven and Logan sat at the controls, not Kurt. Jean saw Erik staring at them from above the island in anger. Suddenly Logan grunted.  
  
Jean glared at Erik. He was trying to hold them. Logan began to turn the craft back. His face was scrunched up in concentration. He was trying to fight, but it would be no use. Raven tried to counter, but hers was the co- pilot. Logan had the real controls. Jean placed her hands on her temple and tried to reach Erik. He wasn't wearing his helmet, which made it much easier. He tried to fight back, but Jean was well and truly angry now, and she was doing what she had to save the man she loved. She felt Erik's astral self cry out in agony as her psi-blast hit him. All of a sudden they were curving violently. Logan struggled to get control and then flew straight quickly. She saw Erik again try to grab Logan, but he couldn't. They were out of his range.  
  
They flew on, Jean looking back as Muir Isle grew smaller and smaller, until it was only a speck, and then clouds swallowed it.  
  
They had been flying for ten minutes now. Raven told them it was only a matter of about half an hour till they reached Avalon. They had to skirt much of Africa, as it was a mass of radioactive wasteland. Only Egypt, with its massive pyramids still stood. Once the war had begun Egypt had suddenly dissolved all contact with the Human High Council. Only a few years later did anyone find out that Egypt was still functioning, indeed the people there were fine. Apocalypse had left most of the area around the Sahara alone. East and North of Egypt everything was alright. It was only south and southwest that the land became barren, more so than the desert. Nothing survived in the wasteland that Africa had become, much like South America and Japan. The only country that had perhaps suffered a worse fate was France, which had been sunk into the sea. Central Asia was a dead land as well, only the area's around like what had been the Indo-Pak subcontinent, some of China, Iran, Turkey, the Middle East, the northern area's of Russia and the rest of Europe had survived becoming dead zones. The avengers had died in the centre of the dead land, the area becoming inhospitable due to the massive energies that had been released there. They were flying over what had been Madagascar. The dust clouds raised had not been so high there. The rest of Africa could not be traversed in any vehicle except a space one. Jean set her eyes forward. No time to dwell on the past now. She had felt Scott fade away inexplicably some time ago, just before they escaped. She could still feel him, but it was duller, and she couldn't tell where he was. She would have to rely on Raven's help to get to Avalon.  
  
* Please Scott, be alive. *  
  
x---------------------- -----x  
  
The air was clearer in Avalon. There was the slight smell of sulphur, as though a volcano was close, but for the most part the air was a lot cleaner than anywhere else. It was. fresh. Scott looked around towards the camp. It had been set up in minimal time, leaving the men enough time to form small scouting parties and head off in different directions. Scott was with one of these parties, Galaire had stayed back at the camp. It would not have fitted with appearances if she had come with them. Scott could sense nothing; however there was always the niggling feeling that someone was watching him. He looked around again. He wasn't the only one. The other members in his scouting party looked around as well. This place was no haven. There was suspicion all around. It had taken a few minutes for the impression of natural untouched life to change. At first they had marveled it, now all of them, even the irascible commander were looking over their shoulders. None of them could shake the feeling of being watched, as though being hunted. The soft sound of rustling was the only warning.  
  
Two shapes burst out of the bushes, snarling. Scott only had time to notice scaly skin, sharp fangs vicious claws before he had to leap aside for cover as three more darted in from the sides. One man fell under the first two animals, screaming as he was torn apart swiftly and mercilessly. The others all murmured curses before opening fire. Two of the. dinosaurs? Fell dead under the fire of the machine guns. The other three reached them. Scott quickly targeted them and let loose. Only one survived, part of its leg and side burned away. It fell on the ground and began screaming in pain and rage. The other two no longer had any heads. Scott's aim had been slightly off with the third. The men put down their weapons, staring at the prehistoric creatures come to life. Scott could hardly believe his own eyes. Scott quickly put the creature out of its misery. The others stared at him. More rustling was heard in the bushes and then Vazhin appeared with his team. His team lowered their rifles upon seeing the others. Vazhin looked at the bodies of the dinosaurs and then at the mercenaries. His mouth was slightly open in shock.  
  
"What the hell are those? They look like. dinosaurs?" Vazhin laughed bitterly upon hearing what had happened.  
  
"Fuckin' great. Just fucking great. Now dinosaurs. This isn't Avalon; this is some God-forsaken savage land."  
  
"Get a hold of yourself, we need to move. The smell and sounds would carry to other beasts in the area. We don't want to face too many, especially in close quarters."  
  
Scott turned back towards the camp, the mercenary's following behind. He kept a close eye out, and it was good that he did.  
  
Before they had managed to get even halfway back to the camp ten more of the savage dinosaurs appeared. They took them down quickly, however two of the mercenary's fell before they could. They left the bodies. More were coming, they could sense it. They reached the camp, with the dinosaurs only scant minutes behind.  
  
Galaire looked up as they arrived, closing her book calmly.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Scott looked at her angrily.  
  
"Are you sure this is Avalon?"  
  
She merely raised her eyebrow at him.  
  
"There are nearly a hundred Goddamn dinosaurs behind me, and they want to feed. If this is Avalon, then all the humans and mutants are probably dead."  
  
Galaire sniffed contemptuously.  
  
"All these men are supposed to be able to take on anything. Don't tell me a few hundred creatures scare you Cyclops?"  
  
Scott glared at her, then turned to the mercenary's. They were already clearing the camp, under orders of Vazhin. The helicopter was starting up, the equipment hurriedly being packed in.  
  
Galaire walked over to them imperiously.  
  
"Take all of that out, we are staying here."  
  
A mercenary looked at her in surprise. He only looked at her for a second before muttering "No fear," and running on.  
  
Galaire looked on in anger. Her eyes narrowed and she walked over to Vazhin. Before she could speak a cry was heard, and then swarms of creatures came running into the plain.  
  
The mercenary's ran as hard as they could towards the helicopter. Vazhin grabbed her arm and began dragging her to the helicopter. Scott had only time to wince at that before he turned his attention to the rapidly advancing dinosaurs.  
  
He opened fire, blasting away at the dinosaurs indiscriminately, felling nearly ten of them at one go, blasting away their legs. He heard a smack and then saw Vazhin fall on the ground next to him. He turned his head slightly. Galaire stood there, her usually serene face twisted in rage. The willowy woman had never liked anyone touching her, least of all humans. Apart from her invulnerability she was fairly well trained in the fighting arts, a hobby of her and Candra's. She brushed her hands on her garments. Scott wasn't worried about Galaire; her invulnerability would keep her safe enough. It would take a lot to actually damage her. A strong enough blast of his optic blasts might hurt her enough to strike a fatal wound, but apart from that she would not be hurt by mere physical attacks.  
  
Apparently she felt the need to use her powers great enough. Scott only felt the rush of water before a massive wave of water materialized in front of him, smashing into twenty oncoming dinosaurs. He only heard squeals when they were pulverized by the wave and the surrounding trees. He saw Vazhin look at her in shock. He tried to fight a grin. He quickly dispatched ten more dinosaurs.  
  
"Dienonychus, one of the Dromaerosaurid family. Interesting to find them here. I wonder if they are strong as they are supposed to have been."  
  
As Scott watched Galaire jumped in front of a Dienonychus. He could only gape in shock, next to him Vazhin still looked on.  
  
The Dienonychus snarled at her and then sprung at her, the strength of his leap enough to knock them back, but Galaire did not fall. The vicious claws struck for her stomach, but they could not penetrate her skin. It would take adamantium for that. Vazhin began muttering next to him. Galaire managed to use the creature's claws to climb on its back. It began bucking, twisting its head trying to reach her. Scott turned his attention to three remaining Dienonychus, then turned back to Galaire. She had swirled a rope of water around its neck, and as soon as she got it in a favorable position she froze it, using the ice to snap the dinosaur's neck. Scott noticed Vazhin now watching her with an unreadable eye.  
  
Galaire walked up to him, her face for once wearing a delighted grin. It looked strange on her serene face.  
  
"Well High Prelate, what do you think?"  
  
His eyes narrowed and darted to Vazhin, but he was now looking at him in horror filled recognition.  
  
"Damn me, you are he!"  
  
He pointed an angry finger at him.  
  
"You're Apocalypse's general, Cyclops the High Prelate!" His face was twisted with impotent fury.  
  
"You killer!" He ran forward, arms outstretched as though to strangle him. Scott evaded the mans blows quickly, and grabbing his hand, pulled him to the side in a jerking motion, dislocating his shoulder.  
  
He then put his knee on the man's back.  
  
"Listen to me flatscan. I am no High Prelate. That was once my title. It is not one I occupy any longer. I am now only Scott Summers, Cyclops if you will. I am against the Tower. Whatever you choose to believe, the point is that we are in danger from a foe none has encountered. I will find Avalon, and it would be easier if I had you're help."  
  
He got off Vazhin and retreated, watching the mercenary commander warily.  
  
Vazhin stood calmly, brushing grass from his clothes.  
  
"I will never follow you, murderer." He glared once more at Scott then turned and walked away. Scott heard him barking orders at his men, but he barely heard him. For in Vazhins glare had been the knowledge of what he had done believing himself to be the bringer of justice and truth. Vazhin was right; he had been not much short of a murderer.  
  
Galaire walked up to him.  
  
"A mistake on my part. However it may prove to be for the better. They would have been of little use against enemies such as these, who send the fear of death into them. We would deal with these enemies with greater ease. They would also be a bigger target and hence the more alluring for any more Dienonychus."  
  
Her logic was as cold as it was sound. Scott got a grip on himself. There was nothing for it now anyway. Vazhin would never work with him, and it was likely the other mercenaries wouldn't either even allowing for them not knowing who he was. Vazhins control over them was absolute.  
  
He turned to the jungle with a heavy heart.  
  
"Do you know where Avalon is?"  
  
Galaire smiled, "It is slightly south west of our present position. Let us go."  
  
She began walking towards the thick jungle to their south-west. Scott took one last look at the mercenaries and began to follow her. Behind him he heard the sound of the helicopters engines starting up. He hoped they would be able to find way out of Avalon. It didn't seem likely, but Galaire was walking calmly onward with no sign of worry on her coolly expressionless face.  
  
Then again that was her usual expression. Scott walked after her.  
  
x------------------- -----x  
  
Remy opened his eyes blearily. He almost didn't want to. Then again, keeping his eyes closed made the images return. It had taken a great act of will to keep from blacking out when the helmet seemed to reach its conclusion. The mental agonies might have driven him insane had he not had the young boy's safety to look out for. He would die before he let the boy get hurt.  
  
His attempt at faking blacking out had worked as far as Sinister was concerned. He had left the laboratory a few minutes after. Remy knew what he had to do, and he knew that he had to break through the mental blocks he had placed on his powers. He knew Sinister well enough to know that he had not lied about that.  
  
He had to concentrate. Now that he knew that there was something there he could find the dormant power inside him.  
  
Nothing. he couldn't find anything. He tried to focus on anything. His hate for Sinister. Nothing. His love for Rogue. Nothing. Belladonna's death. Nothing. His shame for being part of the killing of the underground mutants that Dark Beast had experimented upon. Under the orders of the Tower. He had been recruited and subjected to mind conditioning. As a mutant unit under the Tower he had committed unspeakable acts of destruction and terror. The breaking point was the massacre that he couldn't prevent. Nothing. He couldn't do anything. He tried to twist in his manacles, trying in vain to reach any material to charge and explode. Finally he tired of that and hung his head in exhaustion. There must be something he could do!  
  
Focus. He cleared his mind and focused on the power within him. He could feel the surge within him that came whenever he used his empathy. He focused on that surge of emotion. To go with the flow. He remembered telling Candra that. He let go of all his fears and inhibitions. To be one with the flow. Suddenly he felt his eyes glow. The beaker in his direct line of vision began to glow as though he had charged it. Remy blinked in surprise. The beaker immediately shattered, not charged enough to explode. Remy tried again. This time he targeted a set of vials and test tubes. He could feel them charge around him. Funnily they took longer to charge. Finally they were charged enough to explode. Suddenly Remy realized the stupidity of what he was doing. If he let it explode guards and mutant units would be down here so fast he would have no time to escape his bonds, let alone save the kid.  
  
He focused on everything around him. To be one with the flow. He felt the massive charge of energy around him. He squeezed his eyes shut tight.  
  
The result was everything he could have hoped for. The large machine to which he was strapped exploded, as well as other things around him. Immediately alarms went off. Remy staggered to his feet. Surprisingly he wasn't as hurt as would have expected. He could feel some burns on his back, but apart from that he hummed with power. He ran to where the other lab was. The door burst open as he reached it and he ran inside. He stood in front of the large tank in which the kid floated. He had long brown hair. Funnily enough there was a streak of white down the front of his hair. He wondered if that had anything to do with Rogue. Perhaps, perhaps not. However he would need to free the kid without hurting him. He tried to focus on the glass in front, just enough power to burst it open, without harming the kid.  
  
Suddenly he felt the power buck within him. He tried to do something, anything but the tank glowed a blinding whitish pink and then exploded. Remy was propelled back to smash into the wall with enough force to leave him dazed and out of breath.  
  
"Mon Dieu, dat hurt. Jesus, de kid!"  
  
He lurched to his feet and ran towards the wreckage. He could hear the sound of sprinklers in the laboratory he came from and the ones overhead also turning on. He also heard the sound of booted feet. He thought he could imagine Sinister screaming in rage.  
  
The rubble in front moved. Remy tensed, wondering if the kid had survived. A figure encased in a protective bubble emerged. His left eye glowed with yellow energy.  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
Remy was surprised to find that the kid spoke. There was more to him than just a mindless clone he realized.  
  
"De name is Remy Lebeau, Gambit to my enemies. Not dat I hope you be one."  
  
The kid stared at him uncertainly.  
  
"You broke me out didn't you." It was a statement not a question.  
  
Remy smiled.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Kid, anybody who Sinister be wanting to experiment on needs to be liberated in my book."  
  
He turned as he heard people coming.  
  
The kid turned too.  
  
Guards appeared around the door.  
  
"Stop right there!"  
  
Remy charged up the floor in front of them. The guards looked down just before it blew up, effectively putting a wall between them and Remy and the kid.  
  
"Now's not de time to be asking questions. I say we run."  
  
The kid nodded, naked as he was, and they began to run. Remy blew up the corner of the room. There was nothing beyond but solid earth.  
  
"Damn."  
  
The kid nodded upward. Remy got the hint and blew up the roof of the lab. Which just happened to be twenty feet straight up.  
  
"Dat's nice kid, now we gotta find some way to be getting up dere."  
  
The kid smiled and before he knew it they both were flying through the air, the kid's arms around his waist. Remy's eyes nearly bulged out. This kid could fly?  
  
They landed on the floor of the passageway overhead.  
  
Remy quickly walked over to the door of the room. He checked outside, but no one was there.  
  
"De way seems to be clear. However," he stared over at the kid, "I don't mean to be dissing you or anything kid, but nice as you look, Remy t'inks it be best to find you some clothes. De only man Remy feel comfortable lookin at naked be himself, and you don't fit de bill."  
  
The kid looked down at himself then up at Remy.  
  
"Dissing?"  
  
Remy stared. Of course, Sinister probably had some celestial technology teach him how to talk and some usage of his powers, whatever they may be, but they wouldn't have taught him any slang. He turned around and walked to the door.  
  
"De way is clear, I t'ink we should be moving."  
  
They walked out quickly and silently. The kid moved almost cockily, though. He didn't understand the danger. Catching sign of a pair of guards, Remy motioned to the kid towards them and mouthed 'clothes'. To his credit the kid got it. Then suddenly Remy saw the two guard's heads smash together. The kid's eye was glowing again. Remy stared at him for a second. The kid shrugged at him.  
  
They quickly took the guards clothes, which fit Remy only slightly better than the kid.  
  
Remy hoped no one would notice.  
  
"Let's try and get out of here kid. Oh and by de way, do you be having a name?"  
  
The kid looked up at him.  
  
"I'm Nate, Nate Grey."  
  
Remy shook hands with him.  
  
"Remy Lebeau, nice to meet you."  
  
They turned and began to move.  
  
Remy knew they had to make their way towards the underground passageway that led to Belladonna's grotto. They had to get to the containment cells.  
  
Which were only a few floors down. He led the way, the kid, Nate following.  
  
x------------- ----x  
  
The X-jet landed in what Jean could only find savagely beautiful. Large tree's sprung up around them. They got off the jet, each looking around in wonder. Nature's beauty, untouched by human or mutant.  
  
"This is Avalon?"  
  
Raven looked at her.  
  
"No, this is the savage land, the middle line of defense of Avalon. It's exactly like its name implies. Things walk here, things that are as fierce and bloodthirsty as our two feral's."  
  
She motioned around them, finally pointing towards the south east.  
  
"Avalon lies that way. We must go quickly."  
  
Jean nodded and they locked up the jet and operated its force field. That should keep it safe from anything short of a megaton bomb. Or a very powerful mutant.  
  
They followed Raven, heading into the forest. Jean could feel Scott again, the dullness fading as she entered the savage land, he was somewhere to their east. He was also moving, quite fast. She could read his feelings at the moment, a hint of them anyway. He must be feeling very strongly for her to be able to pick up on his feelings from so far away. Usually he had to be at least in sight, or just beyond. She had lost track of him a few hours after he had left Muir Isle. Which meant he must have been at least a few kilometer's away before that happened. Having him there was a comfort, and she wished she could reach across the distance to comfort him. However perhaps the feel of her was enough, as he seemed to calm down. His own sense of worry and pain had fueled her discomfort and anxiety, but now his feelings of contentment bounced off her own emotions and her pleasure at having him so close bounced off his emotions. She calmed down immediately.  
  
She must have been projecting some of her buoyancy on her face, because she caught Kurt giving her a quizzical look.  
  
She had never been the closest to the dark elflike mutant, but they had always been friends, and she knew he was a very loyal mutant. She had always trusted him, and had been one of the first, apart from Piotr and Kitty to accept him. She knew his hopes of one day becoming a priest, and hoped he would be able to achieve that dream one day. She could still feel the small sense of anxiety from Scott, and knew that he was worried. However with her arrival it had abated.  
  
Perhaps when they reached Avalon his anxiety would pass. Then again, when he saw the amount of people she had brought with her perhaps it would grow. From what he had relayed to her, she could guess he had wanted perhaps all of the X-men. However Scott was a realist. He would realize she couldn't convince at least half the X-men. She might have convinced Ororo and a few others to come as well, perhaps the whole of Roulette, if only Remy hadn't been captured by the Tower. She had been surprised that Raven came with her, then again she had been mostly loyal to herself, not Roulette, and she apparently knew Destiny quite well. More than well, since she referred to her as Irene. No one knew her past too well, only that Kurt was her son. He knew the most about her, and he wasn't willing to share. Perhaps Remy also knew a bit more than most, but he would never betray anyone's trust.  
  
Sean walked next to Kurt. Out of all of them, he and Kurt were perhaps closest. She knew why he had come. She had been the youngest in the X-men at the time he joined, and had become friendly with the bitter mutant he had been, and they had become fast friends. Apart from Logan and the Professor, he had been closest to her. He was also very loyal to his friends. However when he had first come, he had been a drunkard, and they both had emotional baggage. That had also served to bring them closer.  
  
Logan and Victor had been walking tense and they kept sneaking glances at each other. She hoped they wouldn't start fighting. They had remained fairly friendly so far. However now the tension surrounding them was enough to snap.  
  
Suddenly Logan and Victor stopped.  
  
"There's trouble ahead."  
  
Logan nodded in agreement.  
  
Raven turned around.  
  
"What sort of trouble?" She looked a little frightened.  
  
Logan looked around uneasily.  
  
"Big trouble," Victor growled staring at something beyond Raven. Logan turned that way as well and snarled.  
  
"There's more than just that, somethin else is coming from the other side. It doesn't seem as big, but it also feels wrong, and we're upwind of them. They c'n smell us, whatever they are, and they ain't bothering to be silent. Not like any predator I know."  
  
Raven sighed.  
  
"I had hoped to avoid them, but they must be already disturbed. Up ahead lie the sulphur pits and the territory of the last line of defense before Avalon. It's only a kilometer or so ahead. I would suggest we try and get there. That way, we can play off the two dinosaurs against each other."  
  
The others looked taken aback, including Kurt. Jeans eye's bulged. Dinosaurs?  
  
She heard snarling sounds from afar, and then something unmistakable. The sound of a heavy Vulcan cannon.  
  
She looked up and saw a massive helicopter in the sky, and nearly twenty winged beasts flying around it. The Vulcan cannon had dropped three already, and the others were too close. She saw with sickening insight that the helicopter would fall. A creature, a pterodactyl injured, got swept towards the rotors. The last thing it did. It only had time to cry out once before it was shredded apart. However the body was too big and one of the rotors was broken. With only two more, the craft couldn't stay in the air. The occupants must have realized the same as one by one they began jumping out. The pterodactyls stayed with the craft however, attempting to ride it down. Jean counted twelve figures jumping off. Only three veered off towards the falling humans. They took three out quickly, carrying them away, pecking at them. Jean thought she could hear their screams.  
  
"Look, we can't stick around here, the dinosaurs are comin, an' I have no intention of becoming today's meal." Logan's words tore Jean's gaze away from the falling helicopter. As she turned she heard a hollow boom.  
  
"It's more'n likely the dinosaurs went after the explosion. I say we head towards Avalon."  
  
Victor seemed to make sense. Jean and the others began walking towards Avalon again. She could feel Scott more now, and she could feel guilt and anger as well as anxiety and pain rolling off him now. She knew without being told that those men had come with him. She felt a momentary surge of anger at the fact that he had let his men die, then realized what he was feeling. Her heart went out to him. He felt responsible for those men. Perhaps he was, perhaps he wasn't, but the fact remained that their deaths hurt him, badly. She sent out as much support as she could over this distance and felt an answering change in his emotions. She felt glad that she could help him even to such a small extent.  
  
They were moving fast now, and she could feel Logan and Victor growing tense again.  
  
"They're still comin. There's less of 'em but they're still comin."  
  
They heard snarls from behind and they began running openly now. She could sense Logan and  
  
Victor's desire to turn and fight them, but they controlled it. She could feel the stench of sulphur now, and the jungle was growing warmer.  
  
The snarls grew closer. Raven looked panicked and jean felt fear blooming in her stomach.  
  
"They shouldn't be following so close to the sulphur pits. They know what lives there. There must be too many of them to fear even it."  
  
Jean didn't understand too much of that. She only understood that what was up ahead was perhaps worse than what was behind.  
  
Suddenly the jungle opened up to a small plain, and up ahead Jean could see small hills. Sulphur pits, she realized. She heard a shriek from behind and turned her head to see man-sized figures coming out of the jungle. There must have been fifty of them. At least.  
  
They couldn't outrun them.  
  
Logan and Victor were the first to stop, turning. Jean slowed as well and turned. Sean flew overhead, looking around. Raven ran bit ahead and then turned too. Kurt stopped as well and stood next to his mother, protectively.  
  
The dinosaurs slowed. Jean recognized them from her books when young. They were Dienonychus, she thought. She wasn't sure though.  
  
Whatever they were they had mean claws on their feet.  
  
They had slowed as well, and now advanced warily, watching them. They made bird like motions and snarled and screeched. Jean wished she could cover her ears to drown out the horrible noises. Logan had extended the claws on his hand. Victor had bared his fangs as well. The creatures apparently perceived them as the greatest threat for they approached them even more warily. Kurt had drawn his sword. Jean put her hands on her head. Raven tensed to morph.  
  
Finally the creatures snarled and pushed forward. Jean lifted the first ten and flung them back. Logan and Victor advanced with cries of their own. Kurt bamfed behind one and lopped off his leg. He bamfed away before they could retaliate. Three of them fell upon their comrade, stripping it of its flesh. Jean watched in disgust. Then pulled up a shield as three launched themselves on her. They bounced back, and Jean expanded the shield quickly.  
  
Sean screamed at two of them, making them fall back in pain. He swooped down on them and with swift kicks, twisted their necks.  
  
Raven had morphed into a white tiger. The raptors seemed confused, and she was able to skewer two before they got their senses back. However she morphed into an eagle and flew away. They looked puzzled. Logan had already felled four and was heading for five more, the gleam in his eyes showing he was berserk. Victor was choking one, which struggled ineffectually against him. There were numerous wounds down their backs, but their healing factors were making them disappear. However there were still many more left.  
  
An ear splitting roar rang out over the sounds of battle. The dinosaurs seemed to pause, and looked at each other in. fear?  
  
Jean heard pounding on the ground and turned and saw a gargantuan dinosaur bearing down on them.  
  
It was either a Tyrannosaurus or a Giganotosaurus. She wasn't sure which. Suddenly Kurt bamfed next to her and bamfed away with her. She was transported next to the others, including Logan and Victor. Victor sagged in Logan's arms. He had a massive slash down his side, which was healing, but slowly. Sean came flying from overhead. She saw the Tyrannosaur knock away ten of the Dienonychus. The smaller dinosaurs attacked the larger as well, but they were fairly ineffectual against the massive beast. However thirty Dienonychus could take down even a Tyrannosaur and the beast finally fell back against the onslaught. However a second and third approached the first. The other two scattered the Dienonychus, and began to strike back at them. The first rose up slowly and roared.  
  
The X-men began to back away slowly, and then turned and disappeared into the jungle on the other side of the sulphur pits.  
  
Jean stopped to rest against a tree trunk when they had put some distance between themselves and the sulphur pits.  
  
"I don't ever want to face something like that again."  
  
The others milled around her, Kurt and Raven nodding. Logan and Victor just stared at each other, then grinned bloodthirsty grins. Jean felt a bit sick watching them.  
  
Raven rose from her position and turned to them.  
  
"Avalon is just ahead. Come, no sense in waiting about here."  
  
They followed her ahead. Suddenly Jean felt a sense of peace pervade her. A hill rose up ahead, and she could hear a river rushing nearby. As they walked forward a massive figure accompanied by a much smaller one walked towards them. Jean felt surprise wash over her. The smaller man was Back Tom Cassidy. Then the large man could only be. Cain Marko the Juggernaut.  
  
Black Tom whirled his stick and placed it on the ground, end down. She felt Sean tense up. Black Tom was his brother. However she sent a soothing message to him. She didn't want to start a fight in Avalon. The two also seemed to mean them no harm.  
  
"Look what we found; it's the X-men."  
  
Cain just looked down at them, impassive.  
  
"Irene expects you. Come."  
  
Jean and Logan exchanged puzzled glances then walked forward.  
  
Cain led them across a small plain, and then into a small forest. On the other side was a river, and next to it a hill. On top of the hill Jean could see the ruins of a temple. By the river stood a figure garbed in a blue cloak, with the hood up. Next to her knelt a smaller figure, dressed in black and yellow.  
  
"Welcome Raven, I see you bring guests. I am Destiny, welcome to Avalon."  
  
====================================================  
  
Well. Here comes Destiny, and the return of Juggernaut. How did he get here after being summarily thrown out of The Tower? Well, read on.  
  
Oh yeah, the deinonychus are about 5 and a half foot tall dinosaurs that lived in the Jurassic period. It was one thing I disliked about Jurassic park when I first saw it. The velociraptors were too big! They're about 3 and a half feet tall at average, not over 6!  
  
Anyway. Last chapter coming soon. See ya'll later. 


	10. Fear Shrouded in Darkness

Well, I'm happy to say, the last (discounting the epilogue) chapter of the second part of my take on AoA is here. To stay. Okay. This is it; all you fine fic readers out there (Esp. those who read this fic). A big thanks to everyone who reviewed this fic. Don't worry, there's still a whole installment left to go. Part three, which is bigger and badder than this one.  
  
The final battle begins, with the X-men finally finding Destiny, as well as Remy and Nate's continuing escape from the clutches of Sinister and Candra.  
  
*~*  
  
Fear Shrouded in Darkness  
  
Sinister and Candra stood in front of his laboratory. Sinister's face was brooding, yet from his stance and the simple tapping of his left index finger it would be apparent to any who knew him that he was angry. Extremely angry. He had not been this angry since finding out that Scott was a traitor. His eyes flashed and the remaining guards who were still alive flinched under his gaze. However Sinister wasn't a man to waste human life, especially when it could be used for productive purposes.  
  
Candra however was not so reserved or as impassive as Sinister. Her eyes flashed her anger and she had already telekinetically hurled ten guards into the wall, where they still lay imbedded. Candra was another reason why the guards flinched. She was more than angry, she was livid. She walked up and down the room in a rage, gesticulating wildly with her arms.  
  
".Useless, incompetent, inept, bungling, hopeless, clumsy, amateurish fools! You are worse than useless; you're pathetic, weak, dismal, sad, woefully miserable! I'll have each and everyone of you as guinea pigs for Dark Beast, and give him a free hand too! Oh!!! You slimy pitiful bastards! Sonofabitches, assholes, asswipes! Pieces of shit! Fils de Chienne! Kutte ke bache! Bhonstri ke! Bhen Chod! Chyort voz MI!" Candra continued to scream incomprehensible insults at the guards. Even Sinister seemed to come out of his reverie to stare at Candra. He was impressed. He didn't know Candra knew so many insults in different languages. Her face was flushed with anger. Candra stopped screaming to catch her breath. She began to mutter under her breath. Finally a guard rushed back to the outside.  
  
"They've gone above this floor Master and Mistress."  
  
He bowed low, almost low enough to be kissing the floor. Candra's ire abated slightly at that. However she was still angry enough to do grievous bodily harm to any one of the guards. Or to Sinister. Perhaps especially to Sinister.  
  
"In all probability Apocalypse will find out about him. You do not have to be so staid Sinister, we both lose out!"  
  
He turned to her, "You have merely lost a. shall we say playmate, Candra? I have lost perhaps the most intriguing subject I have ever experimented upon. He didn't even use one tenth of his power before. I wonder if he merely chose not to, or really had a block on it. He certainly chose an inopportune time to start."  
  
"Oh shut up Sinister. He was different from the others. I don't know how so, but he was different."  
  
Sinister turned away. Yes, he was different, but Candra still didn't know why. He would have thought that Externals were not prey to emotions, but it seemed Candra was. It seemed they all were. Candra more than simply wanted Lebeau, it was written on her face. Sammael didn't simply want to kill the renegade Externals because they were a threat, he hated them. Exodus didn't want to kill Rumik because she was a traitor or Emma because she was a rebel. He had considered both women his property and because they two had played an important in his being bested, his ego was hurt, and his pride had to be salvaged. Archanfel had hated Magneto, and it had gotten him killed. Even Holocaust would fall due to his emotional instability. The day he lost to anyone in a fight, was the day he would go insane. Even he himself wasn't infallible. He hated Apocalypse, no matter what motives he wanted to attach to his wanting to dethrone him, he was jealous of En Sabah Nur, because he commanded resources that Sinister would have, and had killed for. He also wanted to kill Cyclops because of his turning against him. Countless years of tutoring and grooming the boy to be his second in command had led to his becoming traitor. That had rankled his pride and he wanted to destroy anything that ever galled his pride.  
  
"We should head for the containment cells, he would head there."  
  
Sinister was surprised and felt a little irritated at being surprised. Candra was right for once, using simple logic and reasoning, or perhaps she knew the mutant better than she thought. Sinister nodded. Lebeau would definitely go there, and whatever Candra wanted he would kill Lebeau if necessary. Nate Grey was with him, that much he was sure of. He would get the boy back. While he had failsafes, just in case the boy ever escaped, he would prefer that the boy remained with him, so that he could make the ultimate killing machine.  
  
x-------------- ------------x  
  
Scott was moving faster than he would have thought himself possible. Jean had reappeared in his mind a while back, stronger than he would have expected. She had made him feel a little more secure, in knowing he had at least one ally out in the wilderness. Then the mercenary's helicopter had been attacked. Before he could do a thing, the battle was over, and only nine of the men had survived. Nine out of eighteen. While he knew better, he couldn't help but feel responsible for their deaths. He was their leader, and they had been his problem. He should have somehow coerced them into working with him. He had felt Jeans presence attempt to heal his mental agony. Her presence had been enough to buoy him. He had felt better, and had felt Jean's answering contentment. Then he had got panic from her, panic tinged with fear. She had been attacked, he was sure of that. He had heard sounds to inspire terror, earth shattering roars and screeches.  
  
That's when he began running. To hell with Galaire and the mission. He would save Jean.  
  
That's when he heard the sound of water behind him. He braced himself for an attack. What he didn't expect was Galaire coming up alongside him, riding a cushion of water and ice. He stared at her in bewilderment. Why had she not knocked him down?  
  
"Someone is here. Someone you know. You wish to rescue whoever it is. I do not mind. You are after all in command," the last had to be said mockingly, however Galaire's face was impassive,  
  
"However you must complete the mission. This friend could even be of help."  
  
Suddenly a large bat like dinosaur swooped down, smashing into Galaire. Scott stood stunned as she was carted away by the foul creature. Scott quickly used his eye beam to blast the creature. He blasted off its head and part of its wings. Galaire fell to the ground, pulling up a cushion of water just before she fell.  
  
"My thanks for the prompt save Cyclops." He nodded.  
  
They continued moving.  
  
Scott realized that Jean was moving into the forest ahead of the sulphur pits up ahead. He ran across with Galaire. She was stopping now. He slowed down. He wouldn't want her to attack him because she thought he was a dinosaur. He walked now, and Galaire slowed down with him, matching his speed. He was slightly confused. She was acting different from what he had expected. Perhaps she meant to use him in some other fashion, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what. He suddenly felt a sense of peace pervade his soul. Beside him Galaire gasped. He looked at her, and she smiled at him, for once warmth reaching her eyes as well.  
  
"It is a good feeling, isn't it High Prelate?"  
  
Scott growled below his breath, but didn't remark. He didn't want to ruin this feeling. He kept on walking; heading on a tangent he was sure would lead him to Jean. Only a few more minutes.  
  
x-------------------- --------x  
  
Jean could feel Scott more clearly now. He was getting closer to them. However she tucked his presence to the side of her head. She needed to experience this place as fully as possible. There was a glow of peace surrounding everything, and Jean was certain it emanated from the temple. She thought wistfully that Ororo would have loved this place. Destiny had greeted them all cordially and had greeted Raven with a reserved hug. She had introduced the young boy beside her as her son Douglas, or Doug for short. The boy seemed simple, playing childishly with a butterfly, but utterly at peace. She had been surprised, to say the least, about finding the Juggernaut here. However Destiny had warned them that he was not an enemy and had come here to be at peace with the world. She had met others in Avalon as well. Apart from multiple other mutants there had been a young girl named Blink, who had taken to following Logan and Victor. Both tolerated her, at best. She had pinkish skin and two darker pink marks over her eyes, stretching downward from above her eyes to her cheeks. Her eyes were also milky white, without any retina or iris. However she could see just fine. She wore an oversized sweater and jeans. Jean had tried to talk to her, but she had shied away. Raven had explained to her that she had been one of the first mutants she had brought here.  
  
Another mutant who had caught her eye had been the literal man of fire. Sunfire was the name he had given. It was an apt name. He was pure flame, tightly controlled so as not to burn everything around him. He could fly as well, being as light as fire. His face was covered by a white mask of some obviously fire resistant material. Two eye slits showed glowing eyes. He was cordial enough, but Jean sensed a troubled soul. Raven had said he was possibly the last survivor of Japan. A red circle was also emblazoned on the white mask, probably to signify Japan.  
  
There had been many other mutants, but these two had interested her the most.  
  
Jean had also tried to explain to Destiny why she was here, but the woman had overridden her words, stating evenly that she knew why Jean was here, and that she would never leave. Jean remembered the conversation quite clearly.  
  
^ "I know why you are here Jean Grey. You wish me to come with you, however I must warn that I will not do so. I have seen visions of Avalon burning ever since I saw that vision concerning a woman who would come with dire news. I choose not to go with you."  
  
"But I'm not here to ask you to go anywhere. In fact I want you to stay here. Another is coming to ask you to leave. It is my intention to stop him or her. It is an External." At the name Destiny stiffened.  
  
"Please leave me alone Jean Grey; I would also talk with Raven if you can please direct her to me."  
  
^  
  
Jean had met and sent over Raven. Raven had gone away with the alacrity of a woman going to meet a lover, and Jean suspected that her relationship with Destiny was not too far from that. That didn't explain Kurt though, and she really wanted to know what that was all about. However Kurt had once asked her, politely, to not ask him that, and Raven had coldly told her that it was none of her business.  
  
Logan watched amusedly as Victor looked around his shoulder at the young girl following them. The girl had introduced herself as Blink upon meeting them, and since then had taking to following Victor around. She had also told them her real name, Clarice, but with bravado and guts for someone so small she had told them to call her Blink only. Logan didn't know why that was, but he didn't care either way. However he enjoyed Victor's discomfort.  
  
It was a strange thing, but the two men got along like old friends. He knew they had once been so, but so many things had changed, and their friendship had turned to enmity, compounded by the years and the fact that they shared similar mutations which meant that in a fight there would never be a clear winner. For that the other would have to die. However since they had joined the same team, Logan had begun to see a more human side to the once bloodthirsty killer. He had shaved much of his hair, leaving a hairstyle much like Logan's, only blonde, and with a ponytail at the back. While their powers were much the same, they had very different bodies. Victor was a massive butch individual, with huge muscles, and tall. Logan was much shorter, coming up to Victor's chest, and with a slighter build, though his muscles were nearly as big as Victors. However Logan was slightly faster and had better fighting skills. However Victor's sheer brutality left them about equal in a fight.  
  
Logan shook his head as he saw Victor mutter under his breath about teenage kids.  
  
Blink followed behind, her eyes following Victor. Finally the big man tired of it and turned to her.  
  
"Look kid, why're ya following me?"  
  
She stood in front of him, then blushed. Logan found it very cute. He always held a soft spot for young girls.  
  
"Can you train me to fight?"  
  
Logan was slightly taken aback. This little girl wanted to be trained to fight?  
  
"Uh, kid, you'd be better off asking Logan here for that. He's the trained samurai, ninja thing." Logan scowled at Victor. He didn't want to teach any little girl ninjutsu.  
  
"No, I want you to teach me, I mean if you would?"  
  
Victor looked taken aback. Logan grinned and patted him on the shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry Blink. Creed here's the best at teaching people how to fight. He'll teach ya good how to fight. Hell he's the dirtiest fighter I ever knew."  
  
Victor glared murderously at Logan. Once Logan would have taken that as a precursor before an attack, but now he just laughed and walked off leaving a very confused Victor with an eager Blink.  
  
Behind him he heard Blink talk animatedly and Victor answering in monosyllables. He turned and saw Victor run towards the young girl. Suddenly she pivoted and grabbed his hand, jerking him past, using his momentum to trip him. Victor sprawled on the ground. Logan began to laugh, the kid was good, and it looked as though Victor was going to have his work cut out surviving the training.  
  
x----------- ------------------x  
  
Remy and Nate walked past the rows of containment cells, wary of being spotted. Even so both had enough power between them to knock back any guards. However Remy kept a close watch on the kid. He was an eager kid, ready to lash out with his powers, unfortunately he had almost little or no control over his powers, nearly killing both of them when a guard appeared, when he attempted to blast him with some weird energy projection sort of power. Remy assumed it was either energy projection, or it was telekinesis, the second theory backed up by Nate's eye glowing whenever he used the energy projection type of power, just like Jean's tattoo glowed. The resulting explosion had blasted the guards head off, as well as nearly killed Remy as well. Remy asked the kid to go easy, but like any kid, Nate had shrugged it off to excitement. Remy knew better. The kid wasn't in control of his powers to a big extent and would just as easily fry both their asses then killing a guard. Remy was very proud of his posterior and didn't want any harm coming to it; neither did he want to lose the kid after just saving him.  
  
"Remy t'inks it be just beyond Nate. Get ready f'r a sprint."  
  
Nate nodded and Remy tensed to move. He looked around the corner and found only one guard, with his back to them. A surge of his old reckless spirit hit him and he turned back to Nate.  
  
"I'll make a distraction. You fly over and get the guard."  
  
Nate nodded and began to rise. Flight was a power he seemed to have no problem with. Remy began making moaning noises. The guard stiffened and turned. From between the bars of a cell he could see the guard turn and come toward the sounds he made. Remy made louder and louder noises, gasping now, like someone masturbating. The mutant in the cell turned fearful eyes to him.  
  
"What... what are you doing?" the mutant croaked in fear.  
  
Remy didn't answer. The guard ran over to the side and found Remy standing there with a big grin on his face.  
  
"What the- ! A mutant!"  
  
"Up here too asswipe."  
  
Remy winced; Nate had learnt that from him. He seemed not to understand it too well though; he said it in a completely wrong tone and manner.  
  
Nate smashed into the guard, sending him flying into the wall to land unconscious.  
  
The mutant in the cell began to back away. Remy considered for a moment to save them but then decided it would be useless. They would all be tagged; he didn't doubt that all of them had been to Dark Beast. He hated leaving them, but it would be an unnecessary complication.  
  
"Nice work kid."  
  
Nate whirled around eyes flashing angrily.  
  
"My name's Nate, don't call me kid."  
  
Remy held his palms up in supplication.  
  
The kid had the decency to look a bit embarrassed, but then he turned and began walking to the storage room.  
  
The door was blocked, no surprise there.  
  
Remy began to charge it up, making small explosions. The other guards and whoever else was after them would know about them being here by now.  
  
Nate helped out, lifting some blockages and hurling them to the side, except sometimes he threw large pieces easily, at other times he was unable to lift smaller ones. Remy ignored it, the kid could turn on him, he seemed to have a volatile temper. He wondered if he was related to Rogue, the white stripe still bothered him.  
  
At last the battered door was freed, and Remy opened it. Behind the door was a mess. A large hole was in the ground, with masses of rubble in it. Remy hoped he could open it up. He began to charge it, using his hands. When it seemed charged enough he ran back, and grabbed Nate and hid behind large shattered remains of a container. The rubble exploded, and from the cells Remy heard noises. They didn't have much time.  
  
He ran to inspect what had happened. The hole had only been slightly cleared. There was still enough wreckage to impede their going down. Remy heard the cool calculating voice of Sinister ordering guards and Candra's voice as well.  
  
* Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. *  
  
Remy charged them up as much as he could; the sound of footsteps was  
getting louder.  
  
"Nate, throw something at them."  
  
Nate hurled the container at them.  
  
"Get back!" He ran forward and tried to grab Nate. Suddenly he was  
himself grabbed and  
Nate slammed a shield between them and the blast. When the smoke cleared  
the rubble was gone, vaporized.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
They hurried down into the hole, with Sinister and Candra in hot pursuit.  
  
x----------------  
-------------x  
  
Scott zipped up his pants. Taking a leak in the middle of the jungle with hazards abound wasn't the smartest thing to do, but when a guy had to go, a guy had to go.  
  
At least, that's how it was to Scott. Galaire had viewed it as being inopportune and disgusting, yet somehow not surprising. Scott didn't exactly agree. It had been a shock to realize he needed to piss, and piss bloody quickly at that.  
  
Which was why he now zipped up his pants, after taking a refreshing leak.  
  
He now felt more energized and ready to pursue Jean.  
  
He walked up to Galaire, who stood waiting in a small clearing in the jungle.  
  
"Are you done with your little hiatus High Prelate?"  
  
He ignored her goading and walked over in the direction he sensed Jean was.  
  
"Shall we go, Galaire?"  
  
It was one of the first times he had addressed her directly. She didn't like it; she must have been used to being addressed as superior, not as an equal. He smiled inwardly. It wouldn't be wise to show his humor against a potentially dangerous mutant.  
  
Just before he left the clearing however he felt a premonition of disaster. Something bad was about to happen, and it wasn't just going to be for him. He knew that, somehow, something very bad was about to happen. He hesitated, long enough for Galaire to reach him. He then continued on, ignoring the warning his senses screamed at him for a brief second.  
  
As he walked on, the feeling dissipated till a bare memory remained, and he couldn't even tell if it had been a real warning or some kind of trick of his imagination. Perhaps the savage land behind had made him too suspicious.  
  
He stopped at the edge of a jungle, grabbing Galaire to stop her from going forward. His eyes narrowed as he took in the scene in front of him. A large figure sat on the ground talking to another by far smaller figure. The large figure wasn't wearing his armor, but Scott recognized him all the same. It was the Juggernaut, and the smaller individual must be Black Tom Cassidy.  
  
"It's Cain Marko, the Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy, dangerous mutants, especially the larger Juggernaut."  
  
Galaire looked condescendingly at him.  
  
"I know this High Prelate; I have had dealings with him before. He is not welcome in my presence."  
  
Before Scott could stop her she had broken free of his grip and walked out into the large clearing.  
  
"You idiot!" He whispered fiercely, but she only continued onward.  
  
Cain and Black Tom stood as soon as they saw her, both taking on menacing postures. They must have seen her before, Scott realized. Perhaps she knew of them. Black Tom whipped out his bo staff, twirling it in his hands, causing a tendril of energy to run across it. Scott began to stand as well, however Galaire stopped a few meters in front of them.  
  
For a minute they stood watching. Neither man nor woman moved.  
  
Scott was about to stand and come forward when Cain bunched his fists as though to run forward. Before Scott could react Galaire put her hand up and began to talk.  
  
"You have caused my brethren and I to suffer much Cain Marko. You failed in a task set to you, one you promised us you'd fulfill. We imprisoned you to call you to order. You freed however yourself somehow, and shamed us, forcing us to.. I shall now inflict great and agonizing pain upon you for what you have made us suffer." Her voice was still the calm melody that Scott was used to; however there was also a thin edge to it.  
  
She didn't even move, when suddenly a large pillar of water formed out of the air, hardening into ice.  
  
"Our deal was to fight Sammael only; I and my team could not face Apocalypse as well."  
  
She sniffed in contempt. Cain grunted angrily.  
  
She stood poised to throw when Black Tom spoke.  
  
"He dinnae free himself External. He had help. A man in black, called himself Halfbane." Cain looked angrily at Black Tom, but he only shrugged at his large companion.  
  
Galaire stood stunned. Even Scott was surprised. Halfbane was their leader. Why had he helped Cain Marko break free?  
  
"So that is why. he played us, that sonofabitch played us. and like the fools we were, we were played." Galaire's voice was low, but Scott heard her, and he was sure Cain Marko did as well. Suddenly Cain Marko ran forward. Even Black Tom looked surprised. Galaire snapped out of her reverie, too late to avoid the charge. She flew back, and crumpled against a tree. The force of that blow must have hurt even her slightly.  
  
Scott jumped out of the bushes. Galaire was under his protection, whatever she might be, and he was certain these two could not mean anything good to Avalon.  
  
"Hold Marko and Black Tom. She is under my protection."  
  
He stood in front of her.  
  
"Why, it's the High Prelate Marko me laddie."  
  
"No more, Cassidy. No more. It's just Cyclops now."  
  
Black Tom smiled.  
  
Cain began to charge forward.  
  
Scott held up a hand. He didn't want to fight, but these two had made backing away impossible for him.  
  
He struck at Black Tom, knowing that Cain was near invincible.  
  
Black Tom didn't expect that and fell back, clutching a burnt chest in agony.  
  
Cain turned at his cries of pain. His heavy eyebrows joined together in anger. Scott tensed warily. He would be hard pressed to defeat a man of Cain's strength and ability, not to mention invulnerability.  
  
Suddenly a massive jet of water becoming ice smashed into Cain from behind Scott. He flew back, slamming against a tree, knocking it down.  
  
He yelled as he flew back.  
  
Scott stood warily as Cain stood in a rage. Galaire was a foolish woman, and Cain could make short of both of them. It would take a lot to put him down, and it was usually the surroundings that he had deemed necessary if it ever came to him fighting Cain Marko. However Cain knew these better than him most likely, and there was nothing at hand that he could see.  
  
"Fool man, you would dare to strike at Galaire!"  
  
She streaked past him, riding a wave easily. Scott lifted his hands. Perhaps a full blast would slow the man enough for Galaire to take him down.  
  
Suddenly a jet of pure flame rained down on Galaire. She quickly erected a wall of water to extinguish it and looked up to see a man made of fire floating there.  
  
Scott looked at him in surprise. This mutant was one who he had never seen before. One that even the Tower did not have on their files. It was rare to find a mutant not on any file in the Tower.  
  
"We shall see who has greater power woman. I am Sunfire, heed my name." The man's accent was Japanese, that would explain the red circle on his mask, but did nothing to explain his presence here.  
  
The man began to fly around.  
  
"Wait, we did not attack first. This was a mistake; we only came here to talk to Destiny. These two forced us to play our hand."  
  
Scott suddenly realized that the man had stopped and was regarding Scott intently.  
  
Suddenly Black Tom stood and yelled to Sunfire.  
  
"He's the High Prelate, Shiro! Don't listen to him!"  
  
Sunfire seemed to glow brighter for one second then his voice rang out, harsh and cold.  
  
"High Prelate. You murdering scum. You killed my people!"  
  
That was the second time in a day someone had called him murdering scum, and Scott decided he didn't like it.  
  
"I'm no longer the High Prelate, I'm against the Tower, and I'm no more a murderer than is any one else on this Godforsaken world."  
  
Sunfire stood above him, not listening to his words. That much was apparent to Scott. Scott raised his gauntlets and spread his hands in supplication. He wanted to avoid a fight at all costs.  
  
"Take back your words murderer. I know them for lies."  
  
He sent a shower of fire down on Scott. Scott rolled to avoid them all, but one smashed into his back, burning the armor and uniform. Scott rolled to put out any fire and faced the man of fire.  
  
"I told you once to desist. You seem the type who'll need to be convinced. I only give one warning."  
  
He let loose with his optic beams. He would blast the man to nothing.  
  
The man veered away at the last minute and Scott watched in anger as he flew in weaving circle, shooting down at him. Scott began to run, bouncing off a tree, which was inflamed a second later. He let loose with his gauntlets, sweeping the air above. He heard a gasping cry, and smiled in triumph. However the blast had only struck him a glancing blow. Sunfire swooped down and Scott had to evade his swoop before the man burned him with a touch.  
  
Scott swung his arms from behind, catching the man across the legs. Sunfire fell on the ground; however he seemed to suck in the fire surrounding him, so that only little tendrils of smoke could be seen on the ground. The simple yet caring action broke Scott from his rage, and he stared around him in sadness. This was a mutant haven, not a battleground. Beyond he could see Galaire and Cain wreaking havoc with their battle. Black Tom lay in the middle of the ground, unconscious from the pain of his wound. A wound Scott had delivered him.  
  
"Look around you Sunfire. Is this what you want for Avalon? Destruction and devastation? I've come in peace, whatever you may want to believe, and I am no longer High Prelate, I made mistakes in the past, and I intend to atone for them as best I can. I am an enemy of the Tower, and I never supported what they did in South America, Japan and Southern Africa. I am no advocate of violence, I only did as I had been brought up to, obey the Externals and Apocalypse, and be the best general I could for them. Now you seek to protect your land, but you have inadvertently harmed it. You care for your new home, I can tell. So protect it from those it needs protection from."  
  
Sunfire sat kneeling on the ground, looking up at Scott. Suddenly he took flight.  
  
"I do not trust you High Prelate. However you are correct. I am sworn to protect my new home, and I would die for it. You have shown me the truth, so I will not kill you now. However, if you even think of harming this land, I will hunt you down and extinguish you." Sunfire flew off. Scott stood staring up at the spot where he had been then looked down.  
  
Jean was getting closer, very quickly.  
  
However he couldn't see Galaire or Cain anymore. Suddenly he spotted Cain frozen in a massive pillar of ice, half buried in the ground. Galaire had gone, where he did not know.  
  
He ran to help Cain, blasting at the ice, till it became enough to free him. Cain broke free himself then, and grabbed Scott with a massive hand.  
  
"Wait, I'm trying to help!"  
  
Cain swung his hand around, possibly to squash him like a bug. He would succeed too. Scott powered up his gauntlets as much as he could and Cain let go off him with a yelp, however his other hand closed around him. This one was very cold. Numb Scott realized with a sinking heart. He would barely feel his hand being blown off if the chill was as Scott judged.  
  
Suddenly Cain was hurled backward. Scott sensed her in his mind and instant before she came into view.  
  
He looked up and felt himself become whole again, after too long.  
  
Jean stood in the clearing, with Logan and Sean Cassidy behind her.  
  
She stopped a few meters away, staring at him with an expression on his face that made Scott forget all his pains and aches. He stared back at her, at the beautiful red hair framing her face. The tattoo that glowed for a second before dying out and remaining as a mark on her face. Her lips slightly open, as though about to say something. Her eyes, big and round, and a beautiful green, even though he couldn't see that. Her toughness portrayed by her clothes, the blackish-blue and red that she wore, and the black leather that covered her arms. Her face glowed with the love he felt from the psychic link.  
  
He stood quickly, ignoring the pain in his twisted ankle. He ran over to her and she met him halfway, crushing him to her. He closed his eyes and though he could not cry, felt like it at this moment. He took one clean breath of all that was Jean and then stepped back.  
  
"Jean where's Destiny?"  
  
Jean seemed confused then answered, "I don't know, she's usually at the village, but I'm not sure."  
  
Logan spoke up from the side where he bent over Black Tom with Sean.  
  
"She's up at the temple, said she felt something wrong, a premonition of disaster or somethin like that."  
  
Scott stepped away from Jean, though still not enough away to relinquish the familiar warmth she exuded. He looked up at the top of the large hill. The temple. He knew that Galaire would be going there.  
  
"I must stop her. Galaire is going after her."  
  
Jean looked at him.  
  
"Galaire? Only one? That's okay Scott, Kurt and Raven can handle her."  
  
Scott shook his head, Raven and Kurt couldn't handle her. "No, they won't be prepared to fight her. She's much stronger than she seems. I'm going."  
  
He strode off. Jean grabbed his arm before he took five steps.  
  
"I'm coming with you. I'm not about to lose you to some External, not now that I've just got you back."  
  
Scott grabbed her shoulders.  
  
"No Jean, get Black Tom back to whatever village you have. You're the only one fast enough to, and get more help. We won't be able to take her alone, and the more people there are, the less chance she has of escaping. I'll try to hold her off as long as I can."  
  
He turned and walked off.  
  
Jean turned to the others.  
  
"You heard him, let's go."  
  
Logan scowled, he wasn't about to take orders from Scott. Sean beside him stiffened, but they both realized that Scott was right.  
  
Cain was picked up by Jean and they carted them off to the village, hurrying so that they could get to the temple quickly enough.  
  
x---------------- ----------x  
  
Erik stood in front of the bank of monitors. He was tired, and for once he finally felt his age catching up to him. Too much stress. He didn't kid himself. He knew he wasn't young. He was in the peak of health, and felt more fit than he had in years. However he also knew that he wasn't getting any younger. He worried too much, and as a result his distinguished silver hair was more white than not now. The X-men had divided..  
  
* What a fool you must think me Charles. I promised to take care of the  
team in the event that you died before me. I promised to keep the team  
whole and the dream alive. Only three weeks later your team is broken.  
What a pathetic man I am. I am useless. Not only was I not able to beat  
Apocalypse's men but I actually managed to finish off the X-men as well.  
If you hadn't died. *  
  
The sound of the door opening broke into his thoughts. He felt the presence of his wife and turned.  
  
"Stop blamin yoahself Erik. Yoah didn't have a choice. Jean made it clear that she would go whether you agreed or not, an she was responsible for gettin ya angry. Don't beat yoahself up about it. That's what ah'm here foah."  
  
Erik turned into her embrace. Holding her close and feeling the curves of the woman below him he felt aroused and content. He really truly loved her. More than anything else. He suddenly tried to imagine her sending him a message to warn him to get help. No matter what others thought he would have gone to her. He would have broken down the gates of hell to reach her. For her he would do anything. He suddenly understood Jean. She had felt especially betrayed by him; she knew his depth of feeling for Rogue. She was telepathic; she couldn't help but pick up feelings so strong.  
  
He suddenly felt grief envelop him.  
  
"I made a mistake Rogue. A big mistake. She loves the man. I would have done anything for you, and it's safe to assume she would do the same. Kitty probably felt the same, as did Ororo. and you?" He looked at her in surprise. Rogue had not said anything, but he knew, and her nod confirmed it.  
  
"The only reason I didn't agree to go was b'cause awf Remy. Ah cayn't leave him with the Prelates. Ah also know that's the only reason Ororo didn' go with her."  
  
He walked away from her, walking up to the monitors.  
  
"They disappeared in the Antarctic. It's safe to assume they're in Avalon. However we can't follow them. We also have to rescue Remy. We cannot leave one of our own in the Tower's hands. Whatever happens, I hope they can handle it. We should make plans. We need to rescue Remy. hmm."  
  
Rogue felt a sigh of relief leave her body as Erik began to seem his old self again. In the hours after Jean and the others left he had been in a foul mood, perhaps the foulest she had ever seen him, even more than at Wundagore mountains destruction. She had tried to broach the topic before, but he had snarled at her and she had left him, hurt by his anger. Wanda had advised her to stay away from him for a few hours. She had done just that, but upon seeing him go into the monitor room looking so dejected she had felt her heart contract and had gone in to comfort him. She had succeeded. He was back to being the old Erik. Magneto. the man who defeated Archanfel and Nemesis, killing the former and leaving the latter as pure energy after their battle. The leader of the X-men. Her love.  
  
x------------------- -------------x  
  
Remy walked along the tunnels, Nate walking by his side, a few feet to the left. The kid's sheer power had amazed Remy. He was probably stronger than Jean as a telekinetic and in terms of sheer energy he just felt at least as strong as Erik. At least.  
  
Remy wasn't sure how he knew how strong he was, he just knew. His new found abilities seemed strange to him, yet familiar. These were the abilities he had been born with. He felt a little sick that it was because of Sinister that he finally had all this power at his fingertips. The man who had destroyed his life had also given him a chance to reforge it from the depths it had sunk into. For the first time in a long time he felt good about something.  
  
However now was not the time for a soul searching within himself. He quickly looked back. No one was there yet, but the way was clear for any pursuers. He hoped they came in quickly. He didn't want them to get too close to Bella's grotto. There were a myriad number of paths, but only a few led to the Tower from others. The only open one he knew of came from Bella's grotto. Nate looked around himself with an almost childlike sense of wonder. He had seen none of the world. Remy felt suddenly protective. The kid wasn't that much younger than him, but he knew as little of the world as any ten year old kid, probably less. The kid still reminded him of someone, but he couldn't put his finger on who that could be.  
  
A laser blast suddenly smashed into the ground behind him. He fell forward, trying to quickly scramble up before he was toast. Not to worry. Nate already had shield up, but it flickered and from Nate's face Remy could tell he was trying to hold it. He saw up the corridor. A couple of dozen Infinites, followed by some guards and surprisingly, Candra and Sinister.  
  
Bad news. but for them. Remy began to charge all of the ground in front of them. However Sinister saw. Before Remy knew what was happening a dozen blasts of destructive energy was pouring out of Sinister's hands. Remy jumped out of the way, hands reaching for cards in the pocket of a duster that wasn't there. He halted mid-flight, courtesy of Candra and her telekinesis. Nate snarled beside him and hurled a bolt of nothing at her. She let Remy go and pulled up a telekinetic shield.  
  
"The boy knows tricks." The comment was designed to embarrass Nate, and she succeeded masterfully. As Remy knew she would. Nate was a young kid, and Candra had lived for over a hundred years. Much over a hundred. Suddenly Nate was picked up and flung to the side of the corridor.  
  
"Insignificant fool. I have perfected my art for over hundred of years. Do you think that you, a mere stripling can hope to face me?"  
  
Remy grabbed a rock, holding it close to his body, charging it as best he could. He walked up to the army standing in front.  
  
"Know what Candra; I love de way you talk tough."  
  
Candra turned surprised eyes towards him; she seemed to take pleasure in his words strangely. Remy threw the rock against the wall quickly.  
  
"De rules say, you play, you lose, especially when Gambit be de dealer."  
  
The side wall caved in, effectively burying the guards, however the Infinites were stronger and dug their way out. Candra and Sinister emerged a second later, the former coming out in a telekinetic bubble, the latter bursting out.  
  
"I have had enough of your games Lebeau!"  
  
Sinister abruptly released hundred of energy bolts towards them. Three smashed into the kid, while Remy managed to evade them all.  
  
Nate slammed into the ground, his chest smoking. He made a gasping sound.  
  
"Shit."  
  
Remy stared at him in anger then turned his burning gaze over to Sinister and Candra. Candra nearly flinched under his baleful glare.  
  
"Dat mon ami, you should never have done."  
  
He lunged forward, avoiding the Infinites laser shots, dodging Sinister's energy projection. Candra hit out at him with Telekinetic blasts. He evaded all, snagging two Infinites and charging them. He flipped away from them, and they exploded taking out another two with them. Sinister yelled in anger and ran forward to face him. Remy flipped over his lariat, kicking him in the back. Sinister stumbled forward. Remy quickly grabbed a rock and threw it at Candra. She flinched expecting it to explode, but it only slammed into her side, hard. She gasped and rubbed her ribs where the stone hit.  
  
Remy leaped towards Candra and swept her legs out from under her. She screamed as she fell. He grabbed her cloak and ripped it off, using it as a weapon, tying it around Candra's legs. She screamed something in another language as she struggled to get up, finally telekinetically ripping it apart.  
  
Remy sprang forward again, using all his tricks to fight another master martial artist. Candra met him punch for punch, kick for kick, parry for parry. If it wasn't such a deadly battle, he could easily compare it to their lovemaking, graceful yet wild, poetic yet bestial. Remy suddenly received an opening as Candra stumbled. He rushed forward but then massive arms encircled his torso. The Infinites had recovered faster than he would have expected.  
  
He charged the one behind him and pushed himself off. The thing exploded behind him, its body parts raining down in a shower of metal. As well as a long spinal rod. Remy smiled. He picked it up and twirled it in his hands. Good balance, and okay length. Not too bad. He swung it an arc in front of him, ending with it behind him.  
  
"Now chere, le's you an me dance."  
  
Candra glared at him.  
  
x-------------------- ---------------x  
  
Scott ran to the top of the hill as fast he could. He had to get to the temple and prevent Galaire from taking Destiny. He had to stop her, to stop a man perhaps as bad as Apocalypse from taking over. He was going up the slope, taking leaps and bounds. He hoped jean could find someone fast enough. He could sense her over to his left, perhaps at the village. She would get help and come to the temple.  
  
He heard a rush of water on the top and he doubled his speed. Galaire was already there.  
  
"You will not get further External!" That must be Mystique, he had heard her before. The sound was followed by coolly mocking laughter and another rush of water. A strange bamf noise was heard.  
  
Suddenly the laughter changed to anger. Scott ran harder, putting all his energy into it. He knew it was foolish, but he needed to get there in time. He blocked away the pain his ankle sent to his brain.  
  
"Come on." He had to get there in time.  
  
He heard a yell of triumph, in a foreign tongue, perhaps German. Suddenly the yell turned into a cry of pain. He heard a dull thud. Then another rush of water and the scream of a large animal, perhaps a tiger. Finally a cry of pain from a woman and Galaire's mocking laughter. The two X-men would be no match for Galaire, not the least because she was much more powerful, but because she was also a crafty fighter.  
  
As Scott reached the top, no other sounds were heard. He saw two bodies lying in front of the large temple. One was of Nightcrawler, half frozen into the ground. The other was of Mystique, lying in front of the temple doors, which were half open. * Damn.*  
  
He ran up to Nightcrawler and bent to him. He charged his gloves when he heard a familiar sound behind him. He felt the heat a second before and rolled to the side evasively. Sunfire stood there looking down at him in anger.  
  
"You dare violate this temple? For this you will die High Prelate." The words were said in a cool tone of voice, but with anger on the edges.  
  
"Look Sunfire. I came here to stop the External from getting Destiny. I have just reached here myself. I had no part in beating down these two. The External means to use Destiny and then kill her. The External who leads them means to place himself in place of Apocalypse."  
  
"That is a good thing. Anyone would be better than that butcher."  
  
Scott snarled in rage and frustration.  
  
"Look Sunfire. The External is probably just as bad as Apocalypse. He already uses his fellow Externals and would be a cruel and harsh taskmaster once he succeeds Apocalypse. At least with Apocalypse we know who our enemies are. With Halfbane we would not."  
  
Scott took a deep breath. Perhaps appealing to the mans honor would work. All Japanese were supposed to be obsessed with honor.  
  
"Look. You don't believe me, fine. Kill me if you will, I will not fight you. However once you do, go inside and stop Galaire. She would take Destiny if you do not."  
  
He held his arms aside in supplication. Sunfire floated above him, then finally nodded.  
  
"I will trust you on this. We will go inside. However once done, I will kill you. Therefore be forewarned."  
  
Scott gestured to Nightcrawler.  
  
"At least free him from the ice, if left too long he could lose the usage of his legs."  
  
Sunfire nodded and melted the ice quickly.  
  
Scott turned and walked up to the temple doors. Sunfire followed him. The two men stood there side by side and then walked in.  
  
"I do not like this place. It had always seemed a sanctuary, but recently. it has been desecrated. Something has tarnished it, something unspeakably. evil... wrong."  
  
Scott nodded. He couldn't feel anything, but the place didn't seem to give off the aura of peace Avalon did. Strange since it was apparently the heart of Avalon.  
  
"Destiny would be in the prayer room. She always felt at peace there."  
  
Scott followed as Sunfire led the way. Up ahead he saw Galaire enter a room.  
  
"We must stop her, hurry."  
  
Sunfire flew straight to the room. Scott hurried behind him.  
  
They entered almost together, Sunfire a few seconds before him.  
  
Destiny knelt in the centre of the room, in front of a large circle of silver. A large emblem was etched into it. A V shaped oval-ish shape. Two horns jutted out from wither side, curving till the points were perpendicular to the start. A third horn rose from the top. A mark of a demon or a dragon. Strangely the mark looked superimposed on another emblem. Galaire stood behind Destiny, her hands on her hips.  
  
"So precog, you still believe in gods as being your benefactors?"  
  
Destiny remained kneeling. Galaire raised her hands. Suddenly Destiny bowed her head lower and her hands unfolded.  
  
"You would do well to temper your tone in this sanctuary External."  
  
Somehow it didn't seem surprising that Destiny knew what Galaire was.  
  
"So precog, you think this is a sanctuary. Even to me this place feels dead. It is full of decay. Whatever peace once resided here is gone. You will come with me. The one who sent me is a fool to think I would bring him back. With what you tell me I can rule the world all alone. Why should I stand with others?"  
  
"You have craved power too long, Meghann. It shall lead to your doom. This I know."  
  
With the last words she turned to Galaire, standing in one fluid movement.  
  
Galaire looked taken aback, then she sneered.  
  
"You know much precog, including things I myself barely remember. However you won't live long to enjoy it. I will make your death painless if you tell me what I wish to know." Sunfire began moving then.  
  
"No External, she will not go with you. The only one to die here will be you."  
  
Galaire turned smoothly. As Sunfire flew toward her, she raised her hand and sent a large stream of water towards him. He couldn't avoid it and smashed into a wall, screaming in agony as the flames on his body were fizzled.  
  
Scott ran forward and punched Galaire with his gauntlets fully charged. The force of the blow sent Galaire staggering back. She countered by sending a large jet of water at him. Scott rolled to the side. The water struck the large emblem. It wobbled a bit.  
  
Scott darted to the side as he avoided another jet of water. He tackled Galaire who in the same movement dug her heel into his stomach and used his momentum to flip him back, straightening her leg. He landed heavily on his back. Galaire stood and brushed her hands.  
  
"Well played High Prelate, but now you die. A pity, you would have been an excellent one to have by my side, serving me as I rule."  
  
She raised her hands. Scott knew he would be too slow to evade the next fatal blow.  
  
Suddenly a man smashed through the door. His clothes were tattered and he was dripping blood all over. A gun was raised in his hand and it was pointed at Galaire. A black eye patch covered one eye. Vazhin, still alive. His arrival provided enough distraction for Scott to roll aside.  
  
"Never External, you shall never rule."  
  
Sunfire, fully recharged smashed into her, his burning body managing to hurt Galaire. She yelped in pain and struck him away. Sunfire sent a deadly swarm of fire bolts at her. She raised a shield of water to counter them and hurled a bolt of ice at him. Sunfire evaded them.  
  
However Scott was on his feet now and raised his gauntlets.  
  
"It's over Galaire."  
  
He shot at her, but only one shot hit her, the other smashing into the silver emblem. Galaire stumbled backwards, the blow not strong enough to do her any real damage.  
  
However the emblem glowed as the blast hit it. It emitted a keening noise that rose to a wail which echoed all around the temple. Scott put his hands to his ears to ward off the sound. It was horrifying, it was savage.  
  
The mark on the emblem then drew all the energy into it, shattering the rest of the emblem until only the mark remained.  
  
The mark began to change, becoming the shape of a man. A man in a red cloak, with the hood up. However his eyes beneath the cloak glowed with reddish energy.  
  
He threw back his hood to reveal the face of a man, roughly in his middle ages, with two scars running crisscross over his left eye. His jaw was square and wide. He had graying hair on his head, tied in a top knot, the rest of which was bald. His nose looked as though it had been broken before. Galaire gasped as she saw him.  
  
"Gideon!"  
  
The man turned to her. Scott goggled at him. The Gideon he had seen had green hair, but had looked much like him. But Gideon was dead for over a decade now.  
  
Even Destiny and Sunfire recognized him.  
  
"Benedict what are you doing here? How did you do that?"  
  
Destiny's tone was one of surprise.  
  
Gideon/Benedict smiled.  
  
"I am not Benedict, that was a name I took for my tenure here. Gideon was a name I was once known as. However that is all in the past of another mutant. I am now beyond what I was then. I am now the fourth horseman of Apocalypse, I am the Beast!"  
  
Scott stared at him. Apocalypse had had horsemen before, when he had destroyed the Hellfire Club and begun taking over the world. However those horsemen had been Death, Pestilence, Abyss, Famine and later Sarek. Who was this horseman?  
  
"Whatever you are, I don't think you're out to do us any good. Not if you think you're a horseman." Vazhin put clips into his assault rifles, and opened fire on the Beast.  
  
The Beast smiled, and Vazhin emptied his entire clip into him before anything happened. The Beast put a hand to his side and pulled it up. No blood. His cloak was completely tattered, showing a strongly built body beneath.  
  
"You are useless against me human." The Beast was contemptuous. He raised a hand and a spiral of fire erupted from it, striking Vazhin in the chest, burning through his flak jacket. Vazhin screamed in pain and fell to the ground.  
  
Scott yelled in anger and lurched forward, his visor already down, blasting at the Beast.  
  
The Beast ducked the blast and opened a fist at Scott. A blast of fire hit Scott in the chest sending him flying back. He lay on the ground, stunned, his chest armor absorbing most of the damage.  
  
However too many more of these he could not take.  
  
Sunfire dived at him.  
  
"Shoot your fire horseman, I will not feel it."  
  
However beast waited for him to reach him and then grabbed him and flung him toward the doors of the room.  
  
Sunfire smashed through and out of the doors and lay on the ground outside.  
  
Destiny backed away and stood by Galaire.  
  
Galaire finally snapped out of her astonishment and looked at Gideon.  
  
"Gideon, you are changed, but you are still the same one I loved. My feelings didn't die after you died, they only remained inside. You're back, and I know you loved me. Forget Apocalypse, we can take him together and rule in his stead. You were always the best of the Externals. You still are. Take my hand."  
  
Galaire stood in front of the Beast. She opened her arms in supplication, palms open and outward. The Beast looked at her. Scott held his breath. Fool woman, her insane plea might soothe the horseman.  
  
However the Beast took her hand and began to laugh.  
  
"Fool woman. Do you think anything of the External I was once still remains. I said that was another man, and he grieved for your pain, even as he died. I am however someone else completely. Apocalypse used Gideon's body to create me, using the most powerful of his celestial technology, the likes of which his servants, such as Sinister would give up their souls, whatever is left of them,, multiple times to gain. There are only three others like me. We all serve our Liege Lord Apocalypse. Nothing else."  
  
The Beast raised a hand and a glow suffused it. Galaire barely had time to scream before the hand came down. It hit Galaire hard, smashing into the ground with enough force to flatten a man. Even Galaire was hurt, Scott heard her bone crack. Galaire screamed in pain. Scott doubted she had ever been this hurt.  
  
The Beast then hit her with a blast of energy, sending her body slamming into the far wall with enough force to crack it. Galaire lay there like a broken doll.  
  
Scott growled in anger and ran forward. He punched the Beast in the gut with glowing gauntlets, prompting a grunt. The Beast then blocked Scotts other punch with amazing speed and smashed him back with a backhand. Scott felt his armor crush his ribs and he grunted in pain.  
  
Destiny suddenly leapt forward and kicked the Beast in the head. The Beast barely noticed and slammed her back.  
  
"Make peace with yourself you bastard, you will die again!"  
  
Galaire had somehow supported herself against a stand and was swirling her hands in front of her. A massive whirlpool of water formed in front of her. Its edges became ice and she hurled it at the Beast, pouring out the water. The massive whirlpool engulfed the Beast and Scott could hear its screams from inside. A massive jagged piece of ice grew in the centre, smashing into the ceiling, breaking through. The edges of the icy whirlpool coalesced into another ice piece of ice and another whirlpool grew outside it. Scott stared at Galaire as she seemed to drain of her very life-force, pushing it all apparently into the maelstrom of water and ice. Water and ice from outside smashed into the growing thing inside. Finally she held it, looking like a giant crystal with raging torrents outside and pillars of ice adjoining it outside. Even the ground Scott stood on was icy and slick. Suddenly the temple shook as though a force was trying to break it down. The icy crystal burst outward and the raging pieces whipping outside swooped around in a circle before smashing back into the small body inside. The Beast screamed as the shards smashed through its body, finally the pillars of ice slamming into it. At the end of it the last few pieces looped around and smashed into him for a final time. The body crumpled to the ground and was still, its cloak completely gone leaving a naked body.  
  
Scott gaped as Galaire sagged.  
  
"My final gift High Prelate. I rid the world of one of its terrors. Promise me you will destroy Halfbane and my erstwhile colleagues. Promise me."  
  
Scott nodded and she smiled, for once her eyes warming. Then she fell to the ground, dead. Scott sat beside Vazhin, who stirred.  
  
"Couldn't make it. not a murderer High Prelate. Cyclops I mean. the woman turned out okay. keep her promise. kill that bastard. as well as Apocalypse. Dos. ve. danya." Vazhin died too. Scott closed his eyes. Two people torn apart by their misery and hatred, finally turned good. Only to die. What a waste.  
  
He stood.  
  
"Destiny you're free to go. My job is done. Avalon is safe."  
  
"I think not."  
  
Scott turned in surprise. The Beast stirred and then the figure stood up as though wrenched, arms spread to the side. Fire burst through the ceiling, walls and floor to consume it. The fire swirled around it and then the body changed. Hair grew all over it, and two wings burst out of its back. Its arms elongated and thickened, with massive claws coming out of its hands. Its feet bent and twisted, larger and with large claws as well. Two horns burst out of the side of its head, curving, with a third rising out of the top. Large fangs jutted out of its mouth.  
  
The Beast roared its fury to the sky as the ceiling tumbled down on it. It flapped its wings, the motion making crackling sounds as the fire that still came of its body flickered. The demonic horseman looked at the others before it. Then it roared again.  
  
Scott backed away involuntarily. This was bad.  
  
x---------------- -----------x  
  
Remy stood as though a statue, Candra stood calmly in front. This was the battle they had been destined to fight, all those years ago on the rooftop. Candra wouldn't be taken by surprise now, she was ready for any attack. However Remy was still not out of danger. The Infinites were only mildly halted. They would dig their way out of the rubble soon enough. Nate was down and Sinister had disappeared somewhere too.  
  
Remy lunged for Candra, moving first. First advantage to Candra. perhaps. Candra barely moved until the last second, dropping back and kicking outward, left leg arched upward, right leg bent in a classic flying kick. Remy brushed it aside with his staff and swung it like a mace. No time for fancy maneuvers. The staff struck Candra hard and she winced and dropped to her knees. Suddenly Remy felt himself being yanked backwards by an invisible hand. He smashed against the wall, all of his breath forced out of him. He sank to the ground, trying to catch his breath. He had to get up quickly otherwise Candra would make short work of him. Not to mention Sinister wherever the hell he had disappeared to. Remy quickly charged up the ground in front of Candra. She quickly ducked behind a telekinetic shield. Remy got up and twirled his staff in his hands. With a flourish he pointed it at Candra. She flinched and then Remy jumped forward and swept her legs out from beneath her. Before she could do anything more he had pinned her with the staff.  
  
"You lose Candra."  
  
She smiled and then he was on the ground next to her. She stared into his eyes inches away from hers.  
  
"This is how I like you Cajun, on my level."  
  
Suddenly he was slammed into the ceiling with numbing force.  
  
He fell and only just managed to absorb the brunt of the fall on his hands and feet. He looked up and was knocked back as a telekinetic blast struck him.  
  
"No Cajun, I win, you lose."  
  
She walked forward. Remy could have ended it by blowing her up right then, but he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to kill her. Instead he charged up her boot.  
  
"Watch ya boots Candra."  
  
He flipped back and saw Candra's eyes widen as she looked down at her glowing boot.  
  
Remy turned towards Nate, but he was gone. He raced towards the only direction the others could have gone. Behind him he heard Candra scream in impotent fury. He smiled.  
  
Ahead he could see flashes of light from around the corner. The Infinites and Candra would be just behind him. He had only a few seconds to deal with Sinister. He rounded the corner and came face to face with Nate. Sinister was nowhere.  
  
"Hey kid, where's dat bastard Sinister?"  
  
He looked around but saw nothing. Then a small piece of cloth caught his eye.  
  
"Hey kid, what dat piece of cloth doing here? Hey kid?" His eyes widened as he realized what was happening and he quickly turned and leapt to the side, just in time to avoid an energy blast from Sinister.  
  
"Damn you, le diable Blanc."  
  
Remy began to charge him. Sinister's eyes widened and he sent masses of blasts towards him. Remy had to stop charging and duck to the side. It was always difficult charging organic things. The piece of cloth materialized into Nate. Sinister must have been shielding Remy's mind from his presence through the use of telepathy. Not too strong if Remy could even detect a glimpse of Nate.  
  
The kid was hurting, though not too badly. He revived him quickly.  
  
"Hey kid, get up."  
  
Nate's eyes opened and he snarled, "I'm not a kid."  
  
Remy smiled, still keeping an eye on Sinister who was watching them intently.  
  
"Dat's de way kid."  
  
Sinister now seemed to grow extremely angry. Remy looked behind him. A dead end, blocked by rubble, done by his own hand. Bella's grave was only a few meters away. Sinister smiled. It would take too long for Remy to charge enough of the rubble to get to Bella's grotto.  
  
"What do we do now?" The kid sounded calm. Remy was anything but. A plan struck him as he saw Candra and the Infinites come around the corridor.  
  
"End of the road Lebeau. For you and the young man, Nate Grey."  
  
Remy scowled at him.  
  
"Not by a long shot Sinister. Not by a long shot."  
  
He focused on the Infinites. He would use them.  
  
"Kid when I give de word fly straight up."  
  
Nate looked at him in surprise. At least a few meters of rock and concrete lay between them and the surface. Remy cleared his mind of everything and focused on the flow. The flow of the Infinites. To charge an army of Infinites.  
  
Candra and Sinister walked forward, then stopped letting the Infinites grab them. Remy smiled, a rakish grin; his trademark.  
  
"When ya play wit de Ragin Cajun, ya gotta be prepared to lose, no matter what de odds." Candra and Sinister frowned at him. Before they could do anything the Infinites began glowing. Sinister's eyes widened and Candra gasped.  
  
To go with the flow, a massive flow, the hardest thing he had ever done.  
  
"Now kid!"  
  
Remy pointed just above the Infinites. The kid stared at him for a second and then gasped as he understood.  
  
"What're ya waiting for, de Fuckin' bus? Get movin' kid!'  
  
Nate didn't need to be told twice. He rose in the air and Remy stopped charging them.  
  
"Boom chere."  
  
He rubbed his fingers together and suddenly all the Infinites began to explode.  
  
All twenty remaining Infinites exploded, in a riot of sparks and fire. The middle of the battleground was transformed into an inferno, all the metal parts melting under the intense heat discharge. The head of one came rolling and slapped gently against the rubble.  
  
Nate took the chance and headed straight up, the telekinetic shield activating almost automatically and the damage caused by the explosion was enough for him to break through to the surface, right next to Bella's grotto.  
  
Remy was knocked by the explosion, too much for even him to protect himself from. He smashed against the rubble, his spine nearly cracking under the pressure. The last thing he heard before darkness claimed him was Candra's cry of rage and Sinister's scream of pain. He smiled.  
  
x---------------- -------------x  
  
Jean hurried to the village. She was carrying Juggernaut telekinetically, and Sean had Black Tom with him. Logan ran beside them. At the village they were met by Shiro.  
  
"What happened? Where's the High Prelate."  
  
Logan answered before Jean could.  
  
"He's gone to the temple. Destiny's in danger from the External Galaire; stop her."  
  
Before Logan could add 'to help Scott', Shiro's face had darkened and he shot off, a trail of fire behind him. Victor and Blink came running up.  
  
"What happened? Where's the fire man going?"  
  
Jean looked at Victor carefully.  
  
"He's gone to rescue Destiny. Galaire is attempting to use her powers for herself. Cyclops is already there to stop her and Shiro's going after them."  
  
Victor nodded, but before he could even open his mouth to ask a question Blink had spoken up.  
  
"Destiny's in danger? Oh no! What's gonna happen to us then?"  
  
Victor looked at her.  
  
"Don't worry kid, we'll stop that External."  
  
Blink's eyes brightened.  
  
"We gotta hurry then," before Victor could open his mouth to tell her she wasn't going to go, she overrode his protest, "and none of you can stop me. This my land, and I'm sworn to it."  
  
Suddenly they all heard a gasp from behind.  
  
It was Douglas, Destiny's adopted son.  
  
Jean read his intentions a split second too late as he bounded off, before she could immobilize him. Cain woke at this point.  
  
"What happened? The High Prelate.? Tom!"  
  
He looked up to see his friend in mortal danger.  
  
"No, Tom!"  
  
Jean put a pacifying hand on his shoulder.  
  
"He'll be fine. Right now we have to stop Galaire from getting Destiny! Scott is already there, we have to help him."  
  
Cain looked at her quizzically.  
  
"Scott? You mean. the High Prelate?"  
  
Jean shook her head.  
  
"He isn't High Prelate anymore; he's on our side. sort of. He didn't mean to hurt Black Tom, but he wasn't sure what you were doing either, not till I explained to him. He only wants to protect Destiny. Trust me, we have to help him."  
  
Cain stared at her for a long minute, then he nodded.  
  
"After that though, he's mine."  
  
Jean looked at him straight in the eye.  
  
"To get to him, you'll have to go through me."  
  
Cain stared back then shook his head, "If that's the way it's gotta be."  
  
Logan shook his head wryly.  
  
"Let's stop wastin' time then. We gotta hurry, or the shit will really hit the fan."  
  
Jean stared at Sean; he wasn't one to usually use comments like that. Then she nodded. She noticed she was suddenly the leader of the band. She grimaced as she turned and began walking towards the temple with her party. She didn't really like being in command.  
  
They had been heading towards the temple for only five minutes when suddenly massive rods of ice materialized out of the air and slammed into the windows. Jean stared aghast at the temple; the outside was now encased in ice.  
  
"It's Galaire, she's doin' somthin. We gotta hurry Jeannie."  
  
Jean nodded, and they picked up the pace, Cain smashing aside any tree's that came in the way. He still didn't wear his helmet, since it was with Halfbane. He had explained how he got here on the way. Victor was now carrying the elflike Blink in his arms as they increased speed. Sean was most ahead, flying above them, yet still staying with the party, attempting to find Douglas and stop him from going in alone. They were nearly all the way up the slope, when the top of the temple smashed apart in flame.  
  
Jean stared in horror. Was that Sunfire's work? It didn't seem likely, but what else could it be. Suddenly she heard a terrifying roar emanate from the temple. The sound froze Jean where she stood for a second. Apparently Sunfire wasn't responsible.  
  
They reached the top and found Kurt holding Mystique in his arms. He looked in bad shape, his legs spread below him unnaturally.  
  
"Kurt, what's going on?"  
  
He looked up.  
  
"I don't know, zis woman showed up and defeated ze both of us, zen went in. Ze next thing I know I'm hearing an explosion and seeing Raven lying here like zis."  
  
"Something else is goin on fuzzy elf. It's not only Galaire who's up there."  
  
"Also, zis young boy, Douglas I think; I only got a glimpse, ran past as I woke."  
  
Jean shook his head at them.  
  
"It's alright Kurt; we'll take care of it. Get Mystique to the village, we'll go inside."  
  
He nodded and bamfed away.  
  
Jean took a deep breath and they headed into the temple.  
  
Suddenly Scott came smashing through the wall and landed crumpled at her feet.  
  
"Scott!" She knelt beside him. He was unconscious and bleeding badly.  
  
"No. who did this."  
  
She cradled his head in her hands. He wasn't dead, but he was hurt badly. She growled low in her throat.  
  
"Get whoever did this to him. I'm coming for his ass."  
  
The others ran ahead and Jean stroked his head one last time before running inside.  
  
As she ran in the first thing that struck her was the massive creature/demon in the centre of the room.  
  
"What the hell is that?" The others were also standing in place staring up at the massive creature.  
  
"More insignificant fools? You are X-men. good. Master Apocalypse will be pleased when I report having killed you. Hear my name and tremble mutants. I am the fourth horseman of Apocalypse, I am the destroyer of hope, I am the Beast."  
  
The others all stared at the Beast.  
  
Victor snarled as he heard the words Apocalypse.  
  
"Look at me Beast! I'm Sabretooth and I'm gonna enjoy makin' ya my next meal!"  
  
He snarled, showing his fangs. He ran towards him and jumped on his arm and slashed at it. Beside Jean Logan also unsheathed his claw and ran ahead.  
  
The Beast slammed Victor aside and grabbed Logan before he could do anything to it. It threw Logan against the wall which he hit with a crunching thud. Sunfire tried to hit it with flames, but they only seemed to add to its strength and didn't seem to do any harm to it. It hit Sunfire with its tail and sent the Japanese mutant spinning away. It turned to Destiny.  
  
"It would be better for my master if I killed you now." It raised a hand to smash it down on Destiny. All of a sudden Cain was there, pummeling the Beast. Beast roared in anger as it was knocked back by the Juggernaut.  
  
"Worthless flatscan. You'll pay for that." It counter hit Cain, sending him smashing into and through a wall.  
  
Blink ran up to it and leapt in a flying kick. She hit the Beast on its hand and it turned surprised.  
  
"Another one?" It furled and unfurled his wings, smashing her with them, sending her flying back into a wall, where she lay dazed. Jean tried to hit it with telepathic blasts but it seemed to be too strongly shielded for her to break through. Instead it turned her attack on her sending her to the ground clutching her head.  
  
"Never liked Telepaths. They always think they're like gods, trying to mess with minds."  
  
Its voice was pure flame and crackling sulphur.  
  
Jean heard Victor roar in anger as he saw Blink. He raced forward and he and Sean attacked the Beast in a dual pronged attack.  
  
Victor slashed at him and Sean emitted sonic screams. The Beast recoiled under the attack, then suddenly spread its wings and took flight. Fire leapt from its hands and struck the flying Sean. Sean was sent backwards, smashing against the ground. Jean struggled to her feet.  
  
From the corner of her eye she saw Logan getting up rubbing his head.  
  
Cain charged in and smashed into the Beast, who was back on the ground. The Beast smashed into a wall. Cain charged it again but it used Cain's momentum and sent him through the wall, flinging him down the mountain. Jean goggled. Their strongest ally was already beaten. This Beast couldn't be so strong.  
  
She grabbed it telekinetically and held it. Victor and Logan took the chance and began pummeling it. However that did nothing to stop it from using its flame attacks. It opened its mouth and spewed out flames. Victor and Logan backed away from the intense heat. Suddenly The Beast broke free of its telekinetic bond and turned its attention back to Destiny. It was getting desperate, Jean could tell without reading him.  
  
Before it could do anything Douglas was there, leaping to push Destiny out of the way. He stood in front of the Beast as Destiny lay sprawled on the side.  
  
Before Douglas could do anything else The Beast sent him flying back with a massive blow that hit with a resounding crack.  
  
Jean watched in horror as Douglas's small body smashed into the wall, splitting his head open and killing him instantly. Jean saw Destiny scream in fury and anguish.  
  
"Douglas!" Suddenly Logan and Victor were on the Beast, attacking him unmercifully. Sean and Sunfire appeared as well, smashing the Beast with sonic screams and dive bombs. The Beast fell back under the massive assault.  
  
"It's past time to finish this horseman."  
  
Jean walked forward her voice as cold as ice.  
  
"It's over you bastard."  
  
Logan slashed at the Beasts stomach, drawing a bellow of pain from the behemoth.  
  
Suddenly the Beast sent out a ball of fire, expanding out from its body.  
  
Logan and Victor fell back, and even Jean staggered back. Sunfire dove through, but Sean fell back grabbing his hand which was burning.  
  
The horseman seemed invincible.  
  
Destiny cradled her son's body to her.  
  
Next to her body lay Galaire's body and beyond Jean could see a man's body. Three people dead, killed by the Beast. She stood up and unleashed a telekinetic and telepathic attack simultaneously. To deal with one it left itself open to the other. The Beast fell back, hurt by the telekinetic assault. Jean hurled a shield to push it backwards. Suddenly it broke through her shield.  
  
Jean had only time to gasp at the impossible feat, before The Beast barreled into her. She smashed into the wall and cried out in pain as her skull hit the wall with numbing force.  
  
x----------------- ------------x  
  
Scott stood up, gingerly holding his side. He felt like one big bruise, every part of him ached. Suddenly he heard Jean's cry of pain, followed by a mental equivalent. He ran in fear and anger into the prayer room. The Beast stood in the middle of the room, fending off attacks by Sabretooth and Logan. Sunfire flew above it, dive bombing after a few seconds. Destiny lay clutching the body of a young boy. A girl staggered to her feet next to him. Jean lay slumped against the wall. He took one look at Jean. She was alright, but hurting. bad.  
  
He let loose as he never had before, opening up full blast with both gauntlets and visor.  
  
The Beast was hit with concussive force, enough to take apart a mountain. It screamed in agony and fell against the wall. Logan and Sabretooth- working together?- looked at him, then continued the attack. He raced up to them and began pounding on the Beast as well. Sunfire smashed down on it, and Cain barreled through the door as well. The Beast fell against the wall and roared at them all. It began to release another sphere of fire, but Sunfire stood in front and absorbed the fire into himself before it could reach the others. Sunfire then fell to the ground, barely able to control so much fire.  
  
Scott blasted the Beast again and it whipped around, counterattacking with a tail whip that knocked them all to the ground, including Cain. Then the Beast leaped up and out of the temple.  
  
"Hold him Jean." Scott had sensed her awakening through the bond. He received an affirmative just before the Beast stumbled outside, and then hung in the air, immobile. The Beast thrashed about, roaring. Scott could see Jean was sagging with the effort. It was too much.  
  
"Hurry!" He leapt out the window and landed on the ground in a heap. Logan and Sabretooth bounded down next to him, Sabretooth holding the girl. Logan helped him up.  
  
"Thanks.' He shrugged and they turned their attention to the Beast.  
  
Jean finally let it go, unable to hold it longer.  
  
"Let's finish this."  
  
Scott fired with all three again, and Logan and Sabretooth assaulted it with claws. The girl began to concentrate and then suddenly a large part of the wall it had taken out appeared above it. It landed on the Beast which stumbled to the ground under the weight. Banshee appeared over head, one arm hanging limp. He sent a sonic beam at the Beast, a massive one that sent it staggering back and onto its knees.  
  
The y kept on punishing it, sending blows and blasts at it. Finally the Beast roared and flew straight up.  
  
"Shoot it down!" Scott yelled and blasted it again, full force. He saw Banshee's sonic scream, another massive one head towards the Beast as well, and Jean sent a telekinetic blast its way. The three blasts struck it simultaneously and it roared one last time, then hung still in the air for a moment. Then flame burst out of its very pores it seemed, immolating the huge horseman. It began to roar as it was consumed by its own flames, spasming in the air.  
  
Scott watched with Logan and Sabretooth who held onto the young girl. From above Jean watched as well. Sunfire raised his head weakly and looked at the spectacular end of the Beast. Banshee came to the ground and watched it die as well. Destiny with Cain looked up at the death of the Beast.  
  
In the village, Kurt and Black Tom watched the massive creature get destroyed, watching the end of the fourth horseman of Apocalypse.  
  
That which would burn the cities to ashes, burnt itself, till only a massive ball of flame could be seen. It exploded over Avalon and flames rained down on Avalon.  
  
Destiny watched as her vision came to life. Avalon burned, as flaming rain fell from the sky. She hugged Douglas's body to her and hung her head. For her there was nothing left.  
  
====================================  
  
Well, like, don't like? Review anyway. Six_nites@hotmail.com. Thanks.  
  
Well, that was the final chapter of this part of the fic. The Epilogue is next. It may be a while though, since I'll be busy the next few days. If I get some time, I'll update this one. Anyway, the third part is almost done, with only two chapters left to go. Then A Lid can Beta them, and I'll begin posting it. Don't expect it for a few weeks though.  
  
Thanks. 


	11. Epilogue: Ashes in the Wind

The Final chapter for part two of my AoA redux. I'm also posting the first chapter of the final part. Enjoy, and thanks to all who reviewed. For those 'silent' readers, (if there are any), keep reading please!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men, and all the characters appearing in this chapter are Marvels. Some characters in the story are my own though.  
  
feedback: Please, at six_nites@hotmail.com  
  
~*~  
  
Epilogue: Ashes in the Wind  
  
Apocalypse felt the connection to one of his horsemen sever. He opened his eyes and gave a resounding cry, "No!"  
  
He smashed his fist onto the chair arm. He didn't know how the Beast had died, but his death was unsettling. His plans would have to be reworked to do without the Beast. He could not afford to lose Horsemen. They were his elite, four of them enough to subjugate a world. The four before had been fearsome indeed, but these four were far beyond his previous horsemen. They were also bound to him. The Beast would not have played his hand, not until he was sure of victory. Whatever happened, he had been forced, somehow to fight. The Beast had been in Avalon. Perhaps he had managed to destroy the place. Then again perhaps he had perished in that very attempt. Whatever happened he knew his horsemen would also feel the death of one of their number. He awaited their contact. He would also need to hold another meeting. Avalon should not have had adequate resources to fight one as powerful as the Beast. At least he knew where Avalon was. If the Beast had not finished what he had set out to do, Apocalypse could finish the job.  
  
x---------------- --------------x  
  
Pain. Hideous pain. Agonizing, hideous pain.  
  
"I can tell you're waking." The voice was soft, and almost purring. He would know the voice anywhere. Candra..  
  
Remy opened his eyes with effort. Destroying those Infinites had to be one of the most stupid things he had ever done. At least the kid was alive. He hoped.  
  
Candra sat in front of him. She smiled at him.  
  
"Ah, I knew it. You can't hide things from me Cajun."  
  
She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek softly, caringly. Care from Candra. Remy shook his head. He must be more out of it than he believed.  
  
"You did a lot of damage. Luckily Apocalypse and the Externals are otherwise occupied.  
  
Otherwise the disappearance of a little over twenty Infinites would not have gone unnoticed." She said it almost conversationally. Almost.  
  
He tried to sit, but was bound hand and foot. An inhibitor circled his neck. She had taken precautions.  
  
"So, wat' exactly happened, Gambit, he would like to know?"  
  
She smiled at him, a small, knowing smile.  
  
"I survived, as did you. The boy escaped and the Externals were destroyed."  
  
He waited, expecting more.  
  
She only looked at him. He stared back, knowing this was some kind of game. He began to inspect her features. By all rights she should be scarred, and badly at that. She hadn't been too far away from the Infinites, though more so than Sinister. The evil scientist was why he waited for more. Her eyes were still slightly slanted, like cats, and their blue gaze was still penetrating, and seductive. Her lips retained the familiar twist upward, however this time they were smiling more than usual. Her cheekbones were still slightly tanned, yet creamy white. Her nose was still slightly curved, with an upward turn at the end that he found cute. Still beautiful, no evidence of physical hurt.  
  
He grew tired of waiting. He had less time to waste than an immortal anyway.  
  
"Wat' 'bout big, white an ugly?"  
  
She laughed delightedly, he found it cute too.  
  
"Oh, I like your sense of humor Remy Lebeau. Sinister." she gazed at him for a long time, then  
  
"Sinister seems to have perished in the explosion. Not very likely, but not impossible either. He wasn't invincible. Either he's perished or he's left. Apocalypse was very angry. He seems to think he left. Of course, I had to let him think that. He had Sinister's entire laboratory searched, for any evidence as to where and why he might have gone. They found nothing of you, of course. Sinister kept that information in his head, as well as the young boys. So thrilling to know that the High Prelates' son is so much like him. Good looking and very, very powerful."  
  
Remy stared at her, shell shocked. She had kept information about him from her master? Why? Sinister was dead? He had killed him? Funnily, the information did nothing to him. He only felt some regret for a brilliant man gone to waste. Nothing he had dreamed of all these years. He was surprised at that. His all consuming desire for revenge had dictated everything in his life, until Rogue and then Roulette. Other responsibilities, other passions. Both finished now. Roulette was firmly entrenched with the X-men now, and Rogue had left him for Erik. Still, nothing about life seemed different. Something that had consumed him for so long should have had some impact. He wondered, slightly fearfully, why it didn't. Then suddenly his shock compounded. Nate Grey was Cyclops's son? How was that possible, how did someone probably not much older than him have time to have a kid only a little over a decade younger? Did he. no, the kid was in a tank.  
  
Probably Sinister had used Cyclops's DNA. Who else's though?  
  
"Nate Grey is Cyclops's son? How.? Who else's DNA was in it?"  
  
Candra laughed delightedly again, a musical sound, so different from her usual mocking laughter.  
  
"Nate GREY? His name is Nate Grey? Oh Sinister, you do have a sense of pride, as well as humor. Don't you see Remy; he named the kid half after himself, half after the woman who his mother is."  
  
Half after himself, half after his mother? What did she mean. oh, Nate from Nathaniel. Then Grey was the mothers name. Grey. "Good God, Jean?!?!?"  
  
The last came out as an exclamation.  
  
"Yes, Jean Grey, quite fitting, given how those two ended up. Sinister felt that their DNA match would create the most powerful offspring that is possible. Of course, Apocalypse and the others don't know this. Only my fellow Externals know of his existence, and only I know who his progenitors are."  
  
The last was said coolly, and Remy remembered why he was here, and how he got here. In the line of his questions, he had forgotten.  
  
She still had a small smiled on his face. He tried to look deeper into her eyes, but found nothing. Or rather, he could do nothing. He could feel the flow of her emotions, but couldn't affect them in any way. What had she done?  
  
"Don't try to use your little tricks Cajun. They are fairly useless. Not against me. Not when I know why you could in the first place."  
  
What did she mean?  
  
"Think about it Cajun. It wasn't that stupid drivel Sinister said about affecting it in a secondary manner, that waves off you traveled to those in your vicinity. It was something else entirely with me. No secondary form of telepathy or empathy can affect me. It was something deeper that made it possible, something born of fire and passion, of hope and affection, and of awe and mystery."  
  
She stroked his cheek one last time, tracing his lips with a nail, then she turned and left.  
  
She stood and walked to the door of the small room. A room in her apartments most likely, the familiar smell of her rooms was there.  
  
"Think on what I say Cajun."  
  
She left with a last smile.  
  
Remy sat in the darkness wondering what she meant. Something born of Fire and passion, of hope and affection and of Awe and mystery? What the hell was that? He pondered it, then suddenly it hit him, and the shock of knowing drowned out everything else. Sinister was probably dead, likely at his own hand. Wiped away. Nate was Cyclops and Jean's son. Swept aside. Candra protecting him from her allies and master. Answered and washed away like everything else in the face of the truth he knew.  
  
Candra loved him. One of his mortal enemies loved him. He closed his eyes.  
  
"Remy, why couldn't ye have been born ugly and shy. At least dat way ye wouldn't make ev'ry second woman fall for you. Stupid fuck."  
  
x----------------------- ---x  
  
The man stood shivering. This was where he was supposed to come. Only a few hours ago his mysterious benefactor had approached him to warn him that the young charge he was supposed to take on had escaped and would need to find him and take him under his wing. He opened his cloak's hood slightly. It was dark ahead, and nothing seemed to move. He knew better. A young boy was coming towards him, drawn by warmth in the bitter cold. The rest of his camp stood a way off to the west. The others had been surprised when he had told them he was going. The newest member of their group, Theresa had jumped in worry. Lately she had taken to mothering the whole group, and even Sauron seemed to appreciate her. That was strange; he was usually irritated with him as well. However the jubilant and bright young redhead had wormed her way into even his reptilian heart.  
  
He heard pounding feet and focused his mechanical eye into the vast expanse of nothing that was before him. A young boy walked his way, shivering and not really knowing where he went. He was drawn to his fire. He stood and rubbed his massive hands together. He thought back.  
  
^ "Forge." The voice was imperious and cold. Forge knew it and he despised himself for the almost eager manner in which he turned to his benefactor.  
  
"Yes Master?"  
  
The pale visage of the man before him smiled.  
  
"No need for master anymore Forge. I have told you, Mister Sinister will suffice."  
  
Forge nodded slowly. The man had said no such thing before. In fact he had told him to call him master. However he also knew what Forge could do, and his worth. Maybe that's why he was being so friendly, well friendly for him.  
  
"The boy has escaped Forge, and I need you to collect him for me before he kills himself. He is presently heading somewhere to the north east of you. Intercept him and take him with you, in a manner that is not violent. Befriend the lad. Teach him about the world, and above all make certain he hates Apocalypse, with deep and bitter hatred. If you can manage that, I will reward you with things beyond your imagination, and all deals between us will be done."  
  
Forge nodded empathically as he listened.  
  
Anything to be free of this man, or whatever he was. He had helped him, but at a cost that had torn at his soul. He hoped this job would be less so. He hoped. ^  
  
Now as he saw the boy come into his line of sight he grimaced then schooled his face into one of slight surprise and pleasure. He knew how he would begin with the boy, and how to go about doing his job. He was good at it.  
  
"Hello there. Come out of the cold man, I don't want you freezing, whoever you are."  
  
A good beginning, slightly suspicious, but friendly.  
  
Sinister could not fault him.  
  
x---------------- ------------x  
  
Avalon burned. Or at least, it had burned. Now, most of the fires had been washed away, and some of it absorbed by a revitalized Shiro. The bodies of Douglas, Galaire and Vazhin had been buried, three funerals to mark the passing of three people, one an innocent, one a hardened mercenary, who had only been trying to look out for himself, and one for someone who had been twisted and whose soul had turned dark due to time, finally freed from her darkness and turned to goodness, whose sacrifice made it possible for them to overcome an impossibly strong enemy.  
  
The funerals had signaled an end to the citizens of Avalon as well. Destiny had agreed to come with the X-men and the humans and mutants in Avalon would be taken to Muir Isle and to the Human High Council. Jean had heard Erik's speech about how they were a team, but also individuals. About how each and every member of the X-men was equally important and how their views would be taken seriously. So much for that. She still felt smoldering anger at them, but now that she was with Scott again, it dulled beside her happiness. The others who had come with her had not shown any animosity outwardly, but Jean knew that Sean still had misgivings about him, and that Kurt and Raven didn't quite trust him completely too. However Victor seemed to have a grudging respect for him, and Logan seemed to alternate between liking him and disliking him. However they got along for the most part, and to Jean that was a blessing.  
  
They were the two most important people in her life, and she wouldn't be complete without either. Though her feelings for Logan were now more of an elder brother. Scott held her heart and soul. Destiny was very encouraging of him, and seemed to like him, as much as she seemed to like anyone except Raven. Shiro and Blink had gone from having strong misgivings about him to outright respect and friendship on Shiro's part and affection on Blink's. She still refused to be called Clarice. She thought it was a weak name.  
  
However Cain and Black Tom had gone a complete one eighty on their feelings toward him. From outright hatred they had gone to camaraderie, only thinly veiled beneath teasing. It was amazing that it took a fight in which they all had to put their efforts into it to win, that had led to them becoming friends. Cain and Black Tom wanted to go with the others in Avalon as did Destiny and Raven. Shiro and Blink however wanted to join the X-men. Scott still seemed against himself joining the X-men. Jean wasn't too sure if she wanted to either. Sean and Kurt wanted too, as did Victor and Logan. However Jean wasn't too sure if she wanted to; or if she truly was the team. Too much had happened. She had lost much of her faith in the team, and things could never be the same. However she knew one thing. She would be wherever Scott was. In a world where death was surely around the corner, it would be foolish not to have as much time together as they could.  
  
She felt Scott's presence before she heard him.  
  
* Hello there. * She sent the message to him in a teasing way. He still wasn't too humorously inclined. It seemed that the Tower had burned away much of his humor, and she was sad for it seemed that he would have had a sure wit.  
  
"Hey Jean." He sat down beside her and leaned back against the tree Jean sat leaning against. She leaned into him and he put his arm around her. Instinctual and comfortable, just like from the start. She sighed.  
  
"Everything's changing Scott. Apocalypse is making his move, the X-men are divided, Avalon is gone. Too much too fast. I wish we could have had more time together."  
  
He put his chin on her forehead; Jean felt the prickly points of his unshaven stubble and goatee. She squirmed slightly and he replaced his chin with his forehead.  
  
"I'm sorry too Jean, but we have t fight them. That's all there is left for us, to make this a better world. I'm done with my little soul searching Jean." He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face gently. "I know what to do now, what my mission in life is. I'm going to stop Apocalypse, and then I'm going to marry you." Jean's heart glowed a little at his words. She even felt a little put out that he had just made the statement. Well more than a little.  
  
"You're going to marry me? Who said? What makes you think I'll marry you?"  
  
He looked at her in surprise. Then his face grew shuttered. Jean was blocking off her thoughts from him.  
  
"I see," he drew back from her. "I'm sorry; I thought that well... that you. well. I should have realized." He stood up and had begun moving before Jean realized what had happened. He thought she didn't love him! She stood hurriedly and ran up to him and grabbed him from behind.  
  
"Scott, stop!"  
  
With a brusque movement he pulled away and began walking away again. Jean's heart thudded against her chest. She should have known. He had probably never felt love before. He had admitted to feeling desire for a woman and having slept with other women, but he had never felt anything like what he did for her. He also had no idea how to talk to a woman about love.  
  
Expressing emotions was probably not a big part of his life as Sinister's son, and as a Prelate.  
  
She opened her mind to him quickly and poured all of her love into him.  
  
"Scott, please wait. I didn't mean it that way."  
  
He had stopped. She ran up behind him and turned him around slowly. He stood there, looking down at her, his visor hiding his eyes. However it didn't hide his feelings, and hurt and rejection that had been in him were replaced by relief and puzzlement.  
  
"I'm sorry Scott, I do love you, never doubt it, and I will marry you, as soon as is possible. Not after we defeat Apocalypse, but as soon as possible. The only thing stopping me from getting married right now is that it would be crass to get married hours after the funeral of three people we knew, and the fact that there is no priest." She felt opposition from him, and love and tenderness at the same time. He wanted to marry her, but after he dealt with Apocalypse. He couldn't have her with him while he. She cut through his thoughts angrily.  
  
"No Scott, I'll be with you every inch of the way. I can handle myself, and I won't leave you, no again. If you die, I'll die too." She stared at him evenly. He stared back and then she pulled his face down and kissed him. For a week she had wanted this again, for a week she had missed his touch, and now she couldn't hold back. Throughout the week she had felt for Rogue, for what she had suffered in the years of not being able to know touch, and Jean's respect and admiration for the woman had grown in leaps and bounds.  
  
However right now she was drowning in the sensation that was Scott, and she blanked her thoughts to anything that didn't concern him.  
  
x---------------- ------------x  
  
Apocalypse stood in front of his other three horsemen.  
  
"The defeat of the Beast has me worried. Things are not progressing as planned. However we shall have to gather our losses and then strike back at the enemy. A strike so hard they will not recover."  
  
He clenched his fist.  
  
Behind him War spoke up, her cool melody filling the room.  
  
"I can help you in that regard master. I have found it."  
  
Apocalypse turned to her, his eyes wide and his mouth lifting in a twisted parody of a smile.  
  
"Excellently done War. You three are the most powerful remaining mutants on Earth save only for myself and perhaps my son Holocaust. My allies fall too soon, and some enemies show their hand too quickly. Sinister decided this was his time to leave me. However he shall find out exactly why I am called Apocalypse. He has been a thorn in my side too long. However the larger thorn has been the X-men. Show me where Muir Isle is War. I would see their final refuge myself, before we leave to destroy it. Plague and Death, you to shall take part in this venture. We shall overcome the X-men once and for all."  
  
Apocalypse's laughter filled the chambers, followed by his horsemen's laughter.  
  
================================================  
  
Well, this is done. I'm pretty sure some people can probably guess where I'm going with this story. or maybe not. I dunno. Anyway, sorry if the Scott/Jean scene was a but strained or forced, it seems that way to me. It took me about a week trying to write it out. I'm juts leaving it as is. If I get the energy to write something different, or get some inspiration, I will change it, but for now.  
  
Read on! 


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